Blue Horizontal Branch Research Articles

The Power of High-precision Broadband Photometry: Tracing the Milky Way Density Profile with Blue Horizontal Branch Stars in the Dark Energy Survey

Blue horizontal branch stars (BHBs), excellent distant tracers for probing the Milky Way’s halo density profile, are distinguished in the g−r0 versus (i − z)0 color space from another class of stars, blue straggler stars. We develop a Bayesian mixture model to classify BHBs using high-precision photometry data from the Dark Energy Survey Data Release 2 (DES DR2). We select ∼2100 highly probable BHBs based on their griz photometry and the associated uncertainties, and we use these stars to map the stellar halo over the Galactocentric radial range 20 kpc ≲ R ≲ 70 kpc. After excluding known stellar overdensities, we find that the number density n ⋆ of BHBs can be represented by a power-law density profile n ⋆ ∝ R −α with an index of α=4.34−0.12+0.13±0.52 , consistent with existing literature values. In addition, we examine the impact of systematic errors and the spatial inhomogeneity on the fitted density profile. Our work demonstrates the effectiveness of high-precision griz photometry in selecting BHBs. The upcoming photometric survey from the Rubin Observatory, expected to reach depths 2–3 mag greater than DES during its 10 yr mission, will enable us to investigate the density profile of the Milky Way’s halo out to the virial radius, unraveling the complex processes of formation and evolution in our Galaxy.

Mapping the anisotropic Galactic stellar halo with blue horizontal branch stars

We used Legacy Survey photometric data to probe the stellar halo in multiple directions of the sky using a probabilistic methodology to identify blue horizontal branch (BHB) stars. The measured average radial density profile follows a double power law in the range 5 < rgc/kpc < 120, with a density break at rgc ≈ 20 kpc. This description, however, falls short, depending on the chosen line of sight, with some regions showing no signature of a break in the profile and a wide range of density slopes, such as an outer slope −5.5 ≲ αout ≲ −4, pointing towards a highly anisotropic stellar halo. This explains, in part, the wide range of density profiles reported in the literature owing to different tracers and sky coverage. Using our detailed 3D stellar halo density map, we quantified the shape of the Pisces overdensity associated with the transient wake response of the Galaxy’s (dark) halo to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Measured in the LMC’s coordinate system, Pisces stands above the background, is 60° long and 25° wide, and is aligned with the LMC’s orbit. This would correspond to a wake width of ∼32 kpc at ∼70 kpc. We do not find a statistically significant signature of the collective response in density as previously reported in the literature measured with K giant stars, despite our larger numbers. We release the catalogue constructed in this study with 95 446 possible BHB stars and their BHB probability.

Combined Gemini-South and HST photometric analysis of the globular cluster NGC 6558

Context. NGC 6558 is a low-galactic-latitude globular cluster projected in the direction of the Galactic bulge. Due to high reddening, this region presents challenges in deriving accurate parameters, which require meticulous photometric analysis. We present a combined analysis of near-infrared and optical photometry from multi-epoch high-resolution images collected with Gemini-South/GSAOI+GeMS (in the J and KS filters) and HST/ACS (in the F606W and F814W filters). Aims. We aim to refine the fundamental parameters of NGC 6558, utilising high-quality Gemini-South/GSAOI and HST/ACS photometries. Additionally, we intend to investigate its role in the formation of the Galactic bulge. Methods. We performed a meticulous differential reddening correction to investigate the effect of contamination from Galactic bulge field stars. To derive the fundamental parameters – age, distance, reddening, and the total-to-selective coefficient – we employed a Bayesian isochrone fitting. The results from high-resolution spectroscopy and RR Lyrae stars were implemented as priors. For the orbital parameters, we employed a barred Galactic mass model. Furthermore, we analysed the age-metallicity relation to contextualise NGC 6558 within the Galactic bulge’s history. Results. We studied the impact of two differential reddening corrections on the age derivation. When removing as much as possible of the Galactic bulge field star contamination, the isochrone fitting combined with synthetic colour-magnitude diagrams gives a distance of 8.41−0.10+0.11 kpc, an age of 13.0 ± 0.9 Gyr, and a reddening of E(B − V) = 0.34 ± 0.02. We derived a total-to-selective coefficient of RV = 3.2 ± 0.2 thanks to the simultaneous near-infrared–optical synthetic colour-magnitude diagram fitting, which, aside from errors, agrees with the commonly used value. The orbital parameters showed that NGC 6558 is confined within the inner Galaxy and it is not compatible with a bar-shape orbit, indicating that it is a bulge member. Assembling the old and moderately metal-poor ([Fe/H] ∼ −1.1) clusters in the Galactic bulge, we derived their age-metallicity relation with star formation starting at 13.6 ± 0.2 Gyr and effective yields of ρ = 0.05 ± 0.01 Z⊙. Conclusions. The old age derived for NGC 6558 is compatible with other clusters with similar metallicity and a blue horizontal branch in the Galactic bulge, which constitute the moderately metal-poor globular clusters. The age-metallicity relation shows that the starting age of star formation is compatible with the age of NGC 6558, and the chemical enrichment is ten times faster than the ex situ globular cluster branch.

Determination method for binary fractions using the integrated spectrum

ABSTRACT We need to resolve the individual stars for binary-fraction determinations of stellar systems. Therefore, it is not possible to obtain the binary fractions for dense or distant stellar systems. We propose a method to determine the binary fraction of a dense or distant stellar system: this method is first to determine the binary-fraction variation for any two adjacent regions and then to add up those binary-fraction variations along the radial direction to obtain the binary fraction for a stellar system. The binary-fraction variation is derived using 10 binary-fraction-sensitive spectral absorption feature indices (SAFIs) and the binary-fraction variation calibrations in terms of these SAFIs. Using this method, we first present the binary-fraction variations for 21 Galactic globular clusters (GCs). By comparison, we find that they agree well with the binary fractions based on the main-sequence fiducial line method from previous studies. This verifies that the above-mentioned method is feasible. Next, we present the binary-fraction variations of 13 Galactic GCs. We give the relationships between the binary fraction and various parameters, and find that the binary fraction is negatively correlated with NHB and NRR, the binary fraction of some studies is not strongly correlated with NBS, and the number of GCs with large binary fraction is greater for the extreme blue horizontal branch population ratio. Finally, if we want to obtain a more accurate binary fraction, we suggest that spectroscopic and photometric observations are conducted at an appropriate area interval for a stellar system.

Probing the inner Galactic halo with blue horizontal-branch stars

Context. Stars that are found on the blue horizontal-branch (BHB) evolved from low-mass stars that have completed their core hydrogen-burning main sequence (MS) stage and undergone the helium flash at the end of their red giant phase. Hence, they are very old objects that can be used as markers in studying galactic structure and formation history. The fact that their luminosity is virtually constant at all effective temperatures also makes them good standard candles. Aims. We have compiled a catalogue of BHB stars with stellar parameters calculated from spectral energy distributions (SEDs) constructed using data from multiple large-scale photometric surveys. In addition, we update our previous Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3) catalogue of BHB stars with parallax errors less than 20% by using the SED results to define the selection criteria. The purpose of these catalogues is to create a set of BHB star candidates with reliable stellar parameters. In addition, they provide a more complete full-sky catalogue with candidate objects found along the whole BHB from where RR-Lyrae are found on the instability strip to the extreme horizontal-branch (EHB). Methods. We selected a large dataset of Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) objects based only on their position on the colour-magnitude diagram (CMD), along with the tangential velocity and parallax errors. The SEDs were then used to evaluate contamination levels in the dataset and derive optimised data quality acceptance constraints. This allowed us to extend the Gaia DR3 colour and absolute magnitude criteria further towards the EHB. The level of contamination found using SED analysis was confirmed by acquiring spectra using the Ondrejov Echelle spectrograph, attached to the Perek 2m telescope at the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Results. We present a catalogue of 9172 Galactic halo BHB candidate stars with atmospheric and stellar parameters calculated from synthetic SEDs. We also present an extended Gaia DR3-based catalogue of 22 335 BHB candidate stars with a wider range of effective temperatures and Gaia DR3 parallax errors of less than 20%. This represents an increase of 33% compared to the our 2021 catalogue, with a contamination level of 10%.

A 500 pc volume-limited sample of hot subluminous stars. I. Space density, scale height, and population properties

We present the first volume-limited sample of spectroscopically confirmed hot subluminous stars out to 500 pc, defined using the accurate parallax measurements from the Gaia space mission data release 3 (DR3). The sample comprises a total of 397 members, with 305 ($ 77<!PCT!>$) identified as hot subdwarf stars, including 83 newly discovered systems. Of these, we observe that 178 ($ are hydrogen-rich sdBs, 65 are sdOBs ($ 21<!PCT!>$), 32 are sdOs ($ 11<!PCT!>$), and 30 are He-sdO/Bs ($ 10<!PCT!>$). Among them, 48 ($ 16<!PCT!>$) exhibit an infrared excess in their spectral energy distribution fits, suggesting a composite binary system. The hot subdwarf population is estimated to be 90<!PCT!> complete, assuming that most missing systems are these composite binaries located within the main sequence (MS) in the Gaia colour-magnitude diagram (CMD). The remaining sources in the sample include cataclysmic variables (CVs), blue horizontal branch stars (BHBs), hot white dwarfs (WDs), and MS stars. We derived the mid-plane density $ $ and scale height $ h z $ for the non-composite hot subdwarf star population using a hyperbolic sechant profile (sech$^2$). The best-fit values are $ $ stars/pc3 and $ h z 62$ pc. When accounting for the composite-colour hot subdwarfs and their estimated completeness, the mid-plane density increases to $ $ stars/pc3. This corrected space density is an order of magnitude lower than predicted by population synthesis studies, supporting previous observational estimates.

Horizontal branch structure, age, and chemical composition for very metal-poor extragalactic globular clusters

ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of analysing the integrated light (IL) low-resolution spectra of globular clusters (GCs) in the M31 and Centaurus A groups of galaxies. The sample consists of eight very metal-poor GCs ($\rm [Fe/H]\le -2$ dex) with high signal-to-noise ratio spectra acquired with the telescopes: the 6-m SAO RAS (BTA), the Southern African Large (SALT), and the 6.5-m Magellan (MMT). We study the influence of contribution of the horizontal branch stars on the hydrogen Balmer line profiles in the IL spectra. By modelling the Balmer lines, as well as the metal lines in the observed spectra, we determine the optimum parameters of stellar evolution isochrones and, consequently, the parameters of the atmospheres of the cluster stars. For all the studied GCs, the parameters of horizontal branch stars set by the selected isochrones, the corresponding ages, and carbon abundances are presented for the first time. The abundances of several other elements (Mg, Ca, Ti, Cr, and Mn) were determined for five GCs for the first time. All the studied GCs have blue horizontal branches and are older than 10 Gyr. Their chemical abundances, with the exception of Mg and Mn, are in good agreement with the abundances of stars in the Galactic field. The reasons of low [Mg/Fe] and of high [Mn/Fe] are discussed. Study of the fundamental properties of stellar populations in old GCs facilitates a better understanding of the formation processes of their parent galaxies and nucleosynthesis in the early Universe.

Evidence of Third Dredge-up in Post-AGB Stars in Galactic Globular Clusters

To better understand the mixing and mass loss experienced by low-mass stars as they ascend the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), I have gathered from the literature the abundances of CNO and s-process elements in post-AGB stars in Galactic globular clusters. These species are mixed to the surface during third dredge-up (3DU) events, so their abundance should increase as the star ascends the AGB. Of the 17 stars in this sample, CNO abundances are available for 11. Of these, four are enhanced in CNO relative to the red giant branch stars from which they descended, which I take as evidence of 3DU on the AGB. The enhancement is mainly in the form of carbon. Of the six stars for which only heavy-element abundances are available, one shows s-process enhancements that previous authors have interpreted as evidence of 3DU. Combining these 17 stars with other recent samples reveals that most globular-cluster post-AGB stars have luminosities log(L/L⊙)∼3.25 . They are the progeny of blue horizontal-branch (HB) stars in clusters with intermediate metallicity ([Fe/H] ∼ −1.5). A second group consists of sub-luminous stars associated with high-metallicity clusters ([Fe/H] ∼ −1.0) with red HBs. They may be burning helium, rather than hydrogen. A third group of hot, super-luminous stars is evolving quickly across the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram. Some of them may be merger remnants.

Identification of Blue Horizontal-branch Stars from LAMOST DR5

We construct a new catalog of the blue horizontal-branch (BHB) stars from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) DR5 data set, which contains 5355 + 81 BHB stars at high Galactic latitude (∣Glat∣ > 20°). We combine the spectral line indices with a set of Balmer line profile selection criteria to identify the BHB stars. During the selection process, we use the line index of Ca ii K to exclude the metal-rich A-type dwarfs. We obtain their atmospheric parameters by crossmatching our BHB stars with the catalog provided by Xiang et al. The results show that our sample is consistent with the theoretical T eff–log g evolutionary tracks of the BHB stars, indicating that our method is robust for identifying BHB stars from the LAMOST spectra. Their spatial distribution indicates that most of our BHB stars are located in the inner halo or the disk of the Milky Way. Combined with other BHB samples from the literature, the BHB stars can cover a large Galactic volume, which makes them a better probe for studying the kinematics, dynamics, and structural characteristics of the Milky Way.

Zero-age horizontal branch models for −2.5 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤−0.5 and their implications for the apparent distance moduli of globular clusters

ABSTRACT Grids of zero-age horizontal branch (ZAHB) models are presented, along with a suitable interpolation code, for −2.5 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ −0.5, in steps of 0.2 dex, assuming Y = 0.25 and 0.29, [O/Fe] = +0.4 and +0.6, and [m/Fe] = +0.4 for all of the other α-elements. The HB populations of 37 globular clusters (GCs) are fitted to these ZAHBs to derive their apparent distance moduli, (m − M)V. With few exceptions, the best estimates of their reddenings from dust maps are adopted. The distance moduli are constrained using the prediction that (MF606W − MF814W)0 colours of metal-poor, main-sequence stars at $M_{F606W} \mathrel {\rm{{\gt }\lower.5 ex\rm{\sim }}}5.0$ have very little sensitivity to [Fe/H]. Intrinsic (MF336W − MF606W)0 colours of blue HB stars, which provide valuable connections between GCs with exclusively blue HBs and other clusters of similar metallicity that also have red HB components, limit the uncertainties of relative (m − M)V values to within ±0.03–0.04 mag. The ZAHB-based distances agree quite well with the distances derived by Baumgardt & Vasiliev. Their implications for GC ages are briefly discussed. Stellar rotation and mass loss appear to be more important than helium abundance variations in explaining the colour–magnitude diagrams of second-parameter GCs (those with anomalously very blue HBs for their metallicities).

SHOTGLAS

Aims. We want to study the population of blue horizontal branch (HB) stars in the centres of globular clusters (GC) for the first time by exploiting the unique combination of MUSE spectroscopy and HST photometry. In this work, we characterize their properties in the GCs ω Cen and NGC 6752. Methods. We use dedicated model atmospheres and grids of synthetic spectra computed using a hybrid LTE/NLTE modeling approach to fit the MUSE spectra of HB stars hotter than 8000 K in both clusters. The spectral fits provide estimates of the effective temperature (Teff), surface gravity (log ɡ), and helium abundance of the stars. The model grids are further used to fit the HST magnitudes of the stars, that is, their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). From the SED fits, we derive the average reddening, radius, luminosity, and mass of the stars in our sample. Results. The atmospheric and stellar properties that we derive for the stars in our sample are in good agreement with theoretical expectations. In particular, the stars cooler than ~15 000 K closely follow the theoretical predictions on radius, log ɡ, and luminosity for helium-normal (Y = 0.25) models. In ω Cen, we show that the majority of these cooler HB stars cannot originate from a helium-enriched population with Y > 0.35. The properties of the hotter stars (radii and luminosities) are still in reasonable agreement with theoretical expectations, but the individual measurements show a large scatter. For these hot stars, we find a mismatch between the effective temperatures indicated from the MUSE spectral fits and the photometric fits, with the latter returning Teff lower by ~3000 K. We use three different diagnostics, namely the position of the G-jump and changes in metallicity and helium abundances, to place the onset of diffusion in the stellar atmospheres at Teff between 11 000 and 11 500 K. Our sample includes two stars known as photometric variables; we confirm one to be a bona fide extreme HB object but the other is a blue straggler star. Finally, unlike what has been reported in the literature, we do not find significant differences between the properties (e.g., log ɡ, radius, and luminosity) of the stars in the two clusters. Conclusions. We show that our analysis method – combining MUSE spectra and HST photometry of HB stars in GCs – is a powerful tool for characterising their stellar properties. With the availability of MUSE and HST observations of additional GCs, we have a unique opportunity to combine homogeneous spectroscopic and photometric data to study and compare the properties of blue HB stars in different GCs.

Identification of Blue Horizontal Branch Stars with Multimodal Fusion

Blue Horizontal Branch stars (BHBs) are ideal tracers to probe the global structure of the milky Way (MW), and the increased size of the BHB star sample could be helpful to accurately calculate the MW’s enclosed mass and kinematics. Large survey telescopes have produced an increasing number of astronomical images and spectra. However, traditional methods of identifying BHBs are limited in dealing with the large scale of astronomical data. A fast and efficient way of identifying BHBs can provide a more significant sample for further analysis and research. Therefore, in order to fully use the various data observed and further improve the identification accuracy of BHBs, we have innovatively proposed and implemented a Bi-level attention mechanism-based Transformer multimodal fusion model, called Bi-level Attention in the Transformer with Multimodality (BATMM). The model consists of a spectrum encoder, an image encoder, and a Transformer multimodal fusion module. The Transformer enables the effective fusion of data from two modalities, namely image and spectrum, by using the proposed Bi-level attention mechanism, including cross-attention and self-attention. As a result, the information from the different modalities complements each other, thus improving the accuracy of the identification of BHBs. The experimental results show that the F1 score of the proposed BATMM is 94.78%, which is 21.77% and 2.76% higher than the image and spectral unimodality, respectively. It is therefore demonstrated that higher identification accuracy of BHBs can be achieved by means of using data from multiple modalities and employing an efficient data fusion strategy.

All Spectral Type LAMOST Spectra Library (ATLAS)

We present an empirical stellar spectra library, ATLAS, with resolution R ∼ 1800 and wavelength coverage from 3800–8700 Å. These spectra are homogeneously observed by the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope and have been released in its DR5. ATLAS is separated into two groups, ATLAS-A and -T. The former contains 5584 spectra covering spectral types from O- to M-type and some special types such as A supergiant, blue horizontal-branch, and carbon stars. All of the spectra have absolutely calibrated fluxes at certain characteristic wavelengths corresponding to the optical passbands with accuracy better than 2.9% by comparing with PanSTARRS1 g-, r-, and i-band photometry. In addition, greater than 1% systematic uncertainty from the fundamental calibration should be considered separately. ATLAS-A contains 5342 spectra with spectral energy distribution effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity and 242 spectra with only the effective temperature and surface gravity. These parameters are consistent with the spectroscopic derived parameters of the same stars. Compared to current empirical libraries, ATLAS-A contains more cool giant stars, which may play a critical role in understanding the evolution of galaxies. ATLAS-T, on the other hand, contains 1118 spectral templates averaging over spectra with similar stellar parameters from ATLAS-A. It smooths out some special features in the individual spectra and can be used as a “standard” atlas of stellar spectra. Containing stellar spectra with almost all normal types, ATLAS may not only be a complete training data set for stellar spectra parameter determination but also an ideal legacy for stellar population synthesis.

Ca triplet metallicities and velocities for 12 globular clusters toward the galactic bulge

Context. Globular clusters (GCs) are excellent tracers of the formation and early evolution of the Milky Way. The bulge GCs (BGCs) are particularly important because they can reveal vital information about the oldest in situ component of the Milky Way. Aims. Our aim is to derive the mean metallicities and radial velocities for 13 GCs that lie toward the bulge and are generally associated with this component. This region is observationally challenging because of high extinction and stellar density, which hampers optical studies of these and similar BGCs, making most previous determinations of these parameters quite uncertain. Methods. We used near-infrared low-resolution spectroscopy with the FORS2 instrument on the VLT to measure the wavelengths and equivalent widths of the CaII triplet (CaT) lines for a number of stars per cluster. We derived radial velocities, ascertained membership, and applied known calibrations to determine metallicities for cluster members, for a mean of 11 members per cluster. Unfortunately, one of our targets, VVV-GC002, which is the closest GC to the Galactic center, turned out not to have any members in our sample. Results. We derive mean cluster RV values to 3 km s−1, and mean metallicities to 0.05 dex. We find general good agreement with previous determinations for both metallicity and velocity. On average, our metallicities are 0.07 dex more metal-rich than those of Harris (2010, arXiv:1012.3224), with a standard deviation of the difference of 0.25 dex. Our sample has metallicities between −0.21 and −1.64, and the values are distributed between the traditional metal-rich BGC peak near [Fe/H] −0.5 and a more metal-poor peak around [Fe/H] −1.1, which has recently been identified. These latter are candidates for the oldest GCs in the Galaxy, if blue horizontal branches are present, and include BH 261, NGC 6401, NGC 6540, NGC 6642, and Terzan 9. Finally, Terzan 10 is even more metal-poor. However, dynamically, Terzan 10 is likely an intruder from the halo, possibly associated with the Gaia-Enceladus or Kraken accretion events. Terzan 10 is also confirmed as an Oosterhoff type II GC based on our results. Conclusions. The CaT technique is an excellent method for deriving mean metallicities and velocities for heavily obscured GCs. Our sample provides reliable mean values for these two key properties via spectroscopy of a significant number of members per cluster for this important yet previously poorly studied sample of BGCs. We emphasize that the more metal-poor GCs are excellent candidates for being ancient relics of bulge formation. The lone halo intruder in our sample, Terzan 10, is conspicuous for also having by far the lowest metallicity, and casts doubt on the possibility of any bona fide BGCs at metallicities below about −1.5.

The SDSS-Gaia View of the Color–Magnitude Relation for Blue Horizontal-branch Stars

We present an updated sample of blue horizontal-branch (BHB) stars selected from the photometric and spectroscopic data from Sloan Digital Sky Survey and its associated project Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (SEGUE). With these data, we selected candidates for A-type stars in the color–color space and then a mixture modeling technique was implemented in order to distinguish between BHB and main-sequence/blue-straggler stars based on their surface gravity values () estimated by the SEGUE Stellar Parameter Pipeline. Our robust approach allows us to attribute individual probabilities of each star truly being in the BHB stage. Hence, our method is advantageous in comparison to previous SEGUE BHB selections that adopted simple cuts. We also revisit the color–magnitude relation for these stars and propose two calibrations, based on updated distances for Galactic globular clusters, to estimate absolute magnitudes with (g − r)0 and (u − r)0 colors.

Distances to Local Group Galaxies via Population II, Stellar Distance Indicators. I. The Sculptor Dwarf Spheroidal* *Based in part on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained 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. These observations are associated with program No.

We determine the distance to the Sculptor Dwarf Spheroidal via three Population II stellar distance indicators: (a) the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB), (b) RR Lyrae variables (RRLs), and (c) the ridgeline of the blue horizontal branch (HB). High signal-to-noise, wide-field VI imaging that covers an area and reaches a photometric depth approximately 2 mag fainter than the HB was acquired with the Magellan-Baade 6.5 m telescope. The true modulus derived from Sculptor’s TRGB is found to be mag. Along with periods adopted from the literature, newly acquired RRL phase points are fit with template light curves to determine mag. Finally, the HB distance is found to be mag. Absolute calibrations of each method are anchored by independent geometric zero-points, utilize a different class of stars, and are determined from the same photometric calibration.

Pegasus V/Andromeda XXXIV–a newly discovered ultrafaint dwarf galaxy on the outskirts of Andromeda

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of an ultrafaint dwarf in the constellation of Pegasus. Pegasus V (Peg V)/Andromeda XXXIV was initially identified in the public imaging data release of the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys and confirmed with deep imaging from Gemini/GMOS-N. The colour–magnitude diagram shows a sparse red giant branch (RGB) population and a strong overdensity of blue horizontal branch stars. We measure a distance to Peg V of $D=692^{+33}_{-31}$ kpc, making it a distant satellite of Andromeda with MV = −6.3 ± 0.2 and a half-light radius of rhalf = 89 ± 41 pc. It is located ∼260 kpc from Andromeda in the outskirts of its halo. The RGB is well fitted by a metal-poor isochrone with [Fe/H] = −3.2, suggesting it is very metal poor. This, combined with its blue horizontal branch, could imply that it is a reionization fossil. This is the first detection of an ultrafaint dwarf outside the deep Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey area, and points to a rich, faint satellite population in the outskirts of our nearest neighbour.

Milky Way mass with K giants and BHB stars using LAMOST, SDSS/SEGUE, and Gaia: 3D spherical Jeans equation and tracer mass estimator

ABSTRACT We measure the enclosed Milky Way mass profile to Galactocentric distances of ∼70 and ∼50 kpc using the smooth, diffuse stellar halo samples of Bird et al. The samples are Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) and Sloan Digital Sky Survey/Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (SDSS/SEGUE) K giants (KG) and SDSS/SEGUE blue horizontal branch (BHB) stars with accurate metallicities. The 3D kinematics are available through LAMOST and SDSS/SEGUE distances and radial velocities and Gaia DR2 proper motions. Two methods are used to estimate the enclosed mass: 3D spherical Jeans equation and Evans et al. tracer mass estimator (TME). We remove substructure via the Xue et al. method based on integrals of motion. We evaluate the uncertainties on our estimates due to random sampling noise, systematic distance errors, the adopted density profile, and non-virialization and non-spherical effects of the halo. The tracer density profile remains a limiting systematic in our mass estimates, although within these limits we find reasonable agreement across the different samples and the methods applied. Out to ∼70 and ∼50 kpc, the Jeans method yields total enclosed masses of 4.3 ± 0.95 (random) ±0.6 (systematic) × 1011 M⊙ and 4.1 ± 1.2 (random) ±0.6 (systematic) × 1011 M⊙ for the KG and BHB stars, respectively. For the KG and BHB samples, we find a dark matter virial mass of $M_{200}=0.55^{+0.15}_{-0.11}$ (random) ±0.083 (systematic) × 1012 M⊙ and $M_{200}=1.00^{+0.67}_{-0.33}$ (random) ±0.15 (systematic) × 1012 M⊙, respectively.

Stellar populations of the globular cluster NGC 5053 investigated using AstroSat-Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope

ABSTRACT Globular clusters (GCs), being old and densely packed, serve as ideal laboratories to test stellar evolution theories. Although there is enormous literature on GCs in optical bands, studies in the ultraviolet (UV) regime are sparse. In this work, we study the stellar populations of a metal-poor and a rather dispersed GC, NGC 5053, using the UV instrument of AstroSat, namely the Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope in three far-UV (F154W, F169M, F172M) and three near-UV (N219M, N245M, N263M) filters. Photometry was carried out on these images to construct a catalogue of UV stars, of which the cluster members were identified using Gaia EDR3 catalogue. UV and optical colour–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) help us locate known stellar populations such as blue horizontal branch stars, RR-Lyrae stars, red horizontal branch stars, blue straggler stars (BSSs), SX-Phe, red giant branch, and AGB stars. Based on their locations in the CMDs, we have identified eight new BSS candidates, six probable eBSSs, and an extreme horizontal branch candidate. Their nature has been confirmed by fitting their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with stellar atmospheric models. We believe the BSS population of this cluster is likely to have a collisional origin based on our analyses of their radial distribution and SEDs. BaSTI-IAC isochrones were generated to characterize the cluster properties, and we find that the observed brightness and colours of cluster members are best fit with a model that is α-enhanced with Y =0.247, [Fe/H] = −1.9, and age =12.5 ± 2.0 Gyr.

Globular Cluster UVIT Legacy Survey (GlobULeS) – I. FUV–optical colour–magnitude diagrams for eight globular clusters

ABSTRACT We present the first results of eight globular clusters (GCs) from the AstroSat/UVIT Legacy Survey programme GlobULeS based on the observations carried out in two far-ultraviolet (FUV) filters (F148W and F169M). The FUV–optical and FUV–FUV colour–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of GCs with the proper motion membership were constructed by combining the Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) data with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) UV Globular Cluster Survey data for inner regions and Gaia Early Data Release for regions outside the HST’s field. We detect sources as faint as F148W ∼ 23.5 mag, which are classified based on their locations in CMDs by overlaying stellar evolutionary models. The CMDs of eight GCs are combined with the previous UVIT studies of three GCs to create stacked FUV–optical CMDs to highlight the features/peculiarities found in the different evolutionary sequences. The FUV (F148W) detected stellar populations of 11 GCs comprise 2816 horizontal branch (HB) stars [190 extreme HB (EHB) candidates], 46 post-HB (pHB), 221 blue straggler stars (BSSs), and 107 white dwarf (WD) candidates. We note that the blue HB colour extension obtained from F148W − G colour and the number of FUV detected EHB candidates are strongly correlated with the maximum internal helium (He) variation within each GC, suggesting that the FUV–optical plane is the most sensitive to He abundance variations in the HB. We discuss the potential science cases that will be addressed using these catalogues including HB morphologies, BSSs, pHB, and WD stars.