Faint Clusters Research Articles

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey

Aims. Characterising galaxy cluster populations from a catalogue of sources selected in astronomical surveys requires knowledge of sample incompleteness, known as the selection function. The first All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) by eROSITA on board Spectrum Roentgen Gamma (SRG) has enabled the collection of large samples of galaxy clusters detected in the soft X-ray band over the western Galactic hemisphere. The driving goal consists in constraining cosmological parameters, which puts stringent requirements on the accuracy and flexibility of explainable selection function models. Methods. We used a large set of mock observations of the eRASS1 survey and we processed simulated data identically to the real eRASS1 events. We matched detected sources to simulated clusters and we associated detections to intrinsic cluster properties. We trained a series of models to build selection functions depending only on observable surface brightness data. We developed a second series of models relying on global cluster characteristics such as X-ray luminosity, flux, and the expected instrumental count rate as well as on morphological properties. We validated our models using our simulations and we ranked them according to selected performance metrics. We validated the models with datasets of clusters detected in X-rays and via the Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect. We present the complete Bayesian population modelling framework developed for this purpose. Results. Our results reveal the surface brightness characteristics most relevant to cluster selection in the eRASS1 sample, in particular the ambiguous role of central surface brightness at the scale of the instrument resolution. We have produced a series of user-friendly selection function models and demonstrated their validity and their limitations. Our selection function for bright sources reproduces the catalogue matches with external datasets well. We discuss potential inconsistencies in the selection models at a low signal-to-noise revealed by comparison with a deep X-ray sample acquired by eROSITA during its performance verification phase. Conclusions. Detailed modelling of the eRASS1 galaxy cluster selection function is made possible by reformulating selection into a classification problem. Our models are used in the first eRASS1 cosmological analysis and in sample studies of eRASS1 cluster and groups. These models are crucial for science with eROSITA cluster samples and our new methods pave the way for further investigation of faint cluster selection effects.

PHANGS Hubble Space Telescope Treasury Survey: Globular Cluster Systems in 17 Nearby Spiral Galaxies

We present new catalogs of likely globular clusters (GCs) in 17 nearby spiral galaxies studied as part of the PHANGS Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Treasury Survey. The galaxies were imaged in five broadband filters from the near-ultraviolet through the I band. PHANGS-HST has produced catalogs of stellar clusters of all ages by selecting extended sources (from multiple concentration index measurements) followed by morphological classification (centrally concentrated and symmetric or asymmetric, multiple peaks, and contaminants) by visually examining the V-band images and separately by a machine-learning algorithm which classified larger samples to reach fainter limits. From both cluster catalogs, we select an initial list of candidate GCs which have B − V ≥ 0.5 and V − I ≥ 0.73 mag, then remove likely contaminants (including reddened young clusters, background galaxies misclassified by the neural network, and chance superpositions/blends of stars) after a careful visual inspection. We find that ≈86% of the color-selected candidates classified as spherically symmetric and 68% of those classified as centrally concentrated but asymmetric are likely to be GCs. The luminosity functions of the GC candidates in two of our 17 galaxies, NGC 628 and NGC 3627, are atypical, and continue to rise at least 1 mag fainter than the expected turnover near M V ∼ −7.4. These faint candidate GCs have more extended spatial distributions than their bright counterparts, and may reside in the disk rather than the bulge/halo, similar to faint GCs previously discovered in M101. These faint clusters may be somewhat younger since the age–metallicity degeneracy makes it difficult to determine precise cluster ages from integrated colors once they reach ≈1 Gyr.

Magellan/M2FS and MMT/Hectochelle Spectroscopy of Dwarf Galaxies and Faint Star Clusters within the Galactic Halo* * This paper presents data gathered with the Magellan Telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile, and the MMT Observatory, a joint facility of the Smithsonian Institution, and the University of Arizona.

We present spectroscopic data for 16,369 stellar targets within and/or toward 38 dwarf spheroidal galaxies and faint star clusters within the Milky Way halo environment. All spectra come from observations with the multiobject, fiber-fed echelle spectrographs M2FS at the Magellan/Clay telescope or Hectochelle at the MMT, reaching a typical limiting magnitude G ≲ 21. Data products include processed spectra from all observations and catalogs listing estimates—derived from template model fitting—of line-of-sight velocity (median uncertainty 1.4 km s−1) effective temperature (255 K), (base-10 logarithm of) surface gravity (0.59 dex in cgs units), [Fe/H] (0.4 dex) and [Mg/Fe] (0.27 dex) abundance ratios. The sample contains multiepoch measurements for 3720 sources, with up to 15 epochs per source, enabling studies of intrinsic spectroscopic variability. The sample contains 6087 likely red giant stars (based on surface gravity), and 4492 likely members (based on line-of-sight velocity and Gaia-measured proper motion) of the target systems. The number of member stars per individual target system ranges from a few, for the faintest systems, to ∼850 for the most luminous. For most systems, our new samples extend over wider fields than have previously been observed; of the likely members in our samples, 820 lie beyond 2 times the projected half-light radius of their host system, and 42 lie beyond 5 R half.

The VISCACHA survey – V. Rejuvenating three faint SMC clusters

ABSTRACT We present the analysis of three faint clusters of the Small Magellanic Cloud RZ 82, HW 42, and RZ 158. We employed the SOAR telescope instrument SAM with adaptive optics, allowing us to reach to V ∼ 23–24 mag, unprecedentedly, a depth sufficient to measure ages of up to about 10–12 Gyr. All three clusters are resolved to their centres, and the resulting colour–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) allow us to derive ages of 3.9, 2.6, and 4.8 Gyr, respectively. These results are significantly younger than previous determinations (7.1, 5.0, and 8.3 Gyr, respectively), based on integrated photometry or shallower CMDs. We rule out older ages for these clusters based on deep photometry and statistical isochrone fitting. We also estimate metallicities for the three clusters of $\rm {[Fe/H]}=-0.68$, −0.57, and −0.90, respectively. These updated ages and metallicities are in good agreement with the age-metallicity relation for the bulk of SMC clusters. Total cluster masses ranging from $\sim 7\!-\!11\cdot 10^3\, \mathit{ M}_\odot$ were estimated from integrated flux, consistent with masses estimated for other SMC clusters of similar ages. These results reduce the number of SMC clusters known to be older than about 5 Gyr and highlight the need of deep and spatially resolved photometry to determine accurate ages for older low-luminosity SMC star clusters.

Detecting clusters of galaxies and active galactic nuclei in an eROSITA all-sky survey digital twin

Context. The extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) on board the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) observatory is revolutionizing X-ray astronomy. The mission provides unprecedented samples of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and clusters of galaxies, with the potential of studying astrophysical properties of X-ray sources and measuring cosmological parameters using X-ray-selected samples with higher precision than ever before. Aims. We aim to study the detection, and the selection of AGN and clusters of galaxies in the first eROSITA all-sky survey, and to characterize the properties of the source catalog. Methods. We produced a half-sky simulation at the depth of the first eROSITA survey (eRASS1), by combining models that truthfully represent the population of clusters and AGN. In total, we simulated 1 116 758 clusters and 225 583 320 AGN. We ran the standard eROSITA detection algorithm, optimized for extragalactic sources. We matched the input and the source catalogs with a photon-based matching algorithm. Results. We perfectly recovered the bright AGN and clusters. We detected half of the simulated AGN with flux larger than 2 × 10−14 erg s−1 cm−2 as point sources and half of the simulated clusters with flux larger than 3 × 10−13 erg s−1 cm−2 as extended sources in the 0.5–2.0 keV band. We quantified the detection performance in terms of completeness, false detection rate, and contamination. We studied the population in the source catalog according to multiple cuts of source detection and extension likelihood. We find that the latter is suitable for removing contamination, and the former is very efficient in minimizing the false detection rate. We find that the detection of clusters of galaxies is mainly driven by flux and exposure time. It additionally depends on secondary effects, such as the size of the clusters on the sky plane and their dynamical state. The cool core bias mostly affects faint clusters classified as point sources, while its impact on the extent-selected sample is small. We measured the fraction of the area covered by our simulation as a function of limiting flux. We measured the X-ray luminosity of the detected clusters and find that it is compatible with the simulated values. Conclusions. We discuss how to best build samples of galaxy clusters for cosmological purposes, accounting for the nonuniform depth of eROSITA. This simulation provides a digital twin of the real eRASS1.

The Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey. XI. Stellar Mass Fractions and Luminosity Functions of MaDCoWS Clusters at z ∼ 1

We present stellar mass fractions and composite luminosity functions (LFs) for a sample of 12 clusters from the Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey (MaDCoWS) in the redshift range 0.951 ≤ z ≤ 1.43. Using spectral energy distribution fitting of optical and deep mid-infrared photometry, we establish the membership of objects along the lines of sight to these clusters and calculate the stellar masses of member galaxies. This allows us to calculate the stellar mass of the clusters much more precisely than in previous works. We find stellar mass fractions for these clusters largely consistent with previous works, and an apparent negative correlation with total cluster mass. We measure a composite 3.6 μm LF down to m* + 2.5 for all 12 clusters. Fitting a Schechter function to the LF, we find a characteristic 3.6 μm magnitude of m* = 19.83 ± 0.12 and faint-end slope of α = −0.81 ± 0.10 for the full sample at a mean redshift of . We also divide the clusters into high- and low-redshift bins at and , respectively, and measure a composite LF for each bin. We see a small, but statistically significant, evolution in m* and α—consistent with passive evolution—when we study the joint fit to the two parameters, which is probing the evolution of faint cluster galaxies at z ∼ 1. This highlights the importance of deep IR data in studying the evolution of cluster galaxy populations at high redshift.

First evidence of a stripped star cluster from the Small Magellanic Cloud

ABSTRACT We present results on the recently discovered stellar system YMCA-1, for which physical nature and belonging to any of the Magellanic System galaxies have been irresolutely analysed. We used SMASH and Gaia Early Data Release 3 data sets to conclude that we are dealing with a small star cluster. Its reddening-free, field star decontaminated colour–magnitude diagram was explored in order to obtain the cluster parameters. We found that YMCA-1 is a small (435 ${\rm \, M_\odot }$), moderately old (age = 9.6 Gyr), moderately metal-poor ([Fe/H] = −1.16 dex) star cluster, located at a nearly Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) distance (60.9 kpc) from the Sun, at ∼17.1 kpc to the east from the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) centre. The derived cluster brightness and size would seem to suggest some resemblance to the recently discovered faint star clusters in the Milky Way (MW) outer halo, although it does not match their age–metallicity relationship, nor those of MW globular clusters formed in situ or ex situ, nor that of LMC clusters either, but is in agreement with that of SMC old star clusters. We performed numerical Monte Carlo simulations integrating its orbital motion backwards in the MW–LMC–SMC system with radially extended dark matter haloes that experience dynamical friction, and by exploring different radial velocity (RV) regimes for YMCA-1. For RVs ≳ 300 km s−1, the cluster remains bound to the LMC during the last 500 Myr. The detailed tracked kinematic of YMCA-1 suggests that it could have been stripped by the LMC from the SMC during any of the close interactions between both galaxies, a scenario previously predicted by numerical simulations.

X-ray studies of the Abell 3158 galaxy cluster with eROSITA

Context. The most nearby clusters are the best places for studying physical and enrichment effects in the faint cluster outskirts. The Abell 3158 cluster (A3158), located at z = 0.059, is quite extended with a characteristic radius r200 = 23.95 arcmin. The metal distribution in the outskirts of this cluster has previously been studied with XMM-Newton. In 2019, A3158 was observed as a calibration target in a pointed observation with the eROSITA telescope on board the Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma mission. Bright large clusters, such as A3158, are ideal for studying the metal distribution in the cluster outskirts, along with the temperature profile and morphology. With the deeper observation time of the eROSITA telescope, these properties can now be studied in greater detail and at larger radii. Furthermore, bright nearby clusters are ideal X-ray instrumental cross-calibration targets as they cover a large fraction of the detector and do not vary in time. Aims. We first compare the temperature, metal abundance, and normalisation profiles of the cluster from eROSITA with previous XMM-Newton and Chandra data. Following this calibration work, we investigate the temperature and metallicity of the cluster out to almost r200, measure the galaxy velocity dispersion, and determine the cluster mass. Furthermore, we search for infalling clumps and background clusters in the field. Methods. We determined 1D temperature, abundance, and normalisation profiles from both eROSITA and XMM-Newton data as well as 2D maps of temperature and metal abundance distribution from eROSITA data. The velocity dispersion was determined and the cluster mass was calculated from the mass–velocity dispersion (M200−συ) relation. Galaxy density maps were created to enable a better understanding of the structure of the cluster and the outskirts. Results. The overall (i.e. in the range 0.2−0.5r500) temperature was measured to be 5.158 ± 0.038 keV. The temperature, abundance, and normalisation profiles of eROSITA all agree to within a confidence level of about 10% with those we determined using XMM-Newton and Chandra data, and they are also consistent with the profiles published previously by the X-COP project. The cluster morphology and surface brightness profile of cluster Abell 3158 appear to be regular at a first glance. Clusters that have such profiles typically are relaxed and host cool cores. However, the temperature profile and map show that the cluster lacks a cool core, as was noted before. Instead, an off-centre cool clump lies to the west of the central cluster region, as reported previously. These are indications that the cluster may be undergoing some sloshing and merger activity. Furthermore, there is a bow-shaped edge near the location of the cool gas clump west of the cluster centre. Farther out west of the X-ray images of A3158, an extension of gas is detected. This larger-scale extension is described here for the first time. The gas metallicity (~0.2 solar) measured in the outskirts (»r500) is consistent with an early-enrichment scenario. The velocity dispersion of the cluster member galaxies is measured to be 1058 ± 41 kms−1 based on spectroscopic redshifts of 365 cluster member galaxies and the total mass is determined as M200,c = 1.38 ± 0.25 × 1015 M⊙. The mass estimate based on the X-ray temperature is significantly lower at M200 = 6.20 ± 0.75 × 1014 M⊙, providing further indications that merger activity boosts the velocity dispersion and/or biases the temperature low. An extended X-ray source located south of the field of view also coincides with a galaxy overdensity with spectroscopic redshifts in the range 0.05 < z < 0.07. This source further supports the idea that the cluster is undergoing merger activity. Another extended source located north of the field of view is detected in X-rays and coincides with an overdensity of galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts in the range of 0.070 < z < 0.077. This is likely a background cluster that is not directly related to A3158. Additionally, the known South Pole Telescope cluster SPT-CL J0342-5354 at z = 0. 53 was detected.

Searching Extra-tidal Features around the Globular Cluster Whiting 1

Whiting 1 is a faint and young globular cluster in the halo of the Milky Way, and was suggested to have originated in the Sagittarius spherical dwarf galaxy (Sgr dSph). In this paper, we use the deep DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys to explore tentative spatial connection between Whiting 1 and the Sgr dSph. We redetermine the fundamental parameters of Whiting 1 and use the best-fitting isochrone (age τ = 6.5 Gyr, metallicity Z = 0.005 and d ⊙ = 26.9 kpc) to construct a theoretical matched filter for the extra-tidal features searching. Without any smooth technique to the matched filter density map, we detect a round-shape feature with possible leading and trailing tails on either side of the cluster. This raw image is not totally new compared to old discoveries, but confirms that no more large-scale features can be detected under a depth of r < =22.5 mag. In our results, the whole feature stretches 0°.1–0°.2 along the orbit of Whiting 1, which gives a much larger area than the cluster core. The tails on both sides of the cluster align along the orbital direction of the Sgr dSph as well as the cluster itself, which implies that these debris are probably stripped remnants of Whiting 1 by the Milky Way.

Do gas-poor galaxy clusters have different galaxy populations? The positive covariance of hot and cold baryons

ABSTRACT Galaxy clusters show a variety of intracluster medium properties at a fixed mass in gas fractions, X-ray luminosity and X-ray surface brightness. In this work, we investigate whether the yet-undetermined cause that produces clusters of X-ray low surface brightness also affects galaxy properties, such as richness, richness concentration, width and location of the red sequence, colour, luminosity, and dominance of the brightest cluster galaxy. We use Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12 photometry, and our analysis factors out the mass dependency to derive trends at fixed cluster mass. Clusters of low surface brightness for their mass have cluster richness in spite of their group-like luminosity. Gas-poor, low X-ray surface brightness, X-ray faint clusters for their mass display 25 per cent lower richness for their mass at the 4.4σ level. Therefore, richness and quantities depending on gas, such as gas fraction, Mgas and X-ray surface brightness, are covariant at fixed halo mass. In particular, we do not confirm the suggestion of anticorrelation of hot and cold baryons at fixed mass put forth in the literature. All the remaining optical properties show no covariance at fixed mass, within the sensitivities allowed by our data and sample size. We conclude that X-ray and optical properties are disjointed; the optical properties do not show signatures of those processes involving gas content, apart from the richness–mass scaling relation. The covariance between X-ray surface brightness and richness is useful for an effective X-ray follow-up of low-surface-brightness clusters because it allows us to pre-select clusters using optical data of survey quality and avoids expensive X-ray observations.

Membership Lists for 431 Open Clusters in Gaia DR2 Using Extreme Deconvolution Gaussian Mixture Models

Abstract Open clusters are groups of stars that form at the same time, making them an ideal laboratory to test theories of star formation, stellar evolution, and dynamics in the Milky Way disk. However, the utility of an open cluster can be limited by the accuracy and completeness of its known members. Here, we employ a “top-down” technique, Extreme Deconvolution Gaussian Mixture Models (XDGMMs), to extract and evaluate known open clusters from Gaia DR2 by fitting the distribution of stellar parallax and proper motion along a line of sight. Extreme deconvolution techniques can recover the intrinsic distribution of astrometric quantities, accounting for the full covariance matrix of the errors; this allows open cluster members to be identified even when presented with relatively uncertain measurement data. To date, open cluster studies have only applied extreme deconvolution to specialized searches for individual systems. We use XDGMMs to characterize the open clusters reported by Ahumada &amp; Lapasset and are able to recover 420 of the 426 open clusters therein (98.1%). Our membership list contains the overwhelming majority (&gt;95%) of previously known cluster members. We also identify a new, significant, and relatively faint cluster member population and validate their membership status using Gaia eDR3. We report the fortuitous discovery of 11 new open cluster candidates within the lines of sight we analyzed. We present our technique, as well as its advantages and challenges, and publish our membership lists and updated cluster parameters.

Exploiting NIKA2/XMM-Newtonimaging synergy for intermediate-mass high-zgalaxy clusters within the NIKA2 SZ large program

High-resolution mapping of the intracluster medium (ICM) up to high redshift and down to low masses is crucial to derive accurate mass estimates of the galaxy cluster and to understand the systematic effects affecting cosmological studies based on galaxy clusters. We present a spatially resolved Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ)/X-ray analysis of ACT-CL J0215.4+0030, a high-redshift (z = 0.865) galaxy cluster of intermediate mass (M500 ≃ 3.5 × 1014 M⊙) observed as part of the ongoing NIKA2 SZ large program, which is a follow-up of a representative sample of objects at 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 0.9. In addition to the faintness and small angular size induced by its mass and redshift, the cluster is contaminated by point sources that significantly affect the SZ signal. This is therefore an interesting case study for the most challenging sources of the NIKA2 cluster sample. We present the NIKA2 observations of this cluster and the resulting data. We identified the point sources that affect the NIKA2 maps of the cluster as submillimeter galaxies with counterparts in catalogs of sources constructed by the SPIRE instrument on board theHerschelobservatory. We reconstructed the ICM pressure profile by performing a joint analysis of the SZ signal and of the point-source component in the NIKA2 150 GHz map. This cluster is a very weak source that lies below the selection limit of thePlanckcatalog. Nonetheless, we obtained high-quality estimates of the ICM thermodynamical properties with NIKA2. We compared the pressure profile extracted from the NIKA2 map to the pressure profile obtained from X-ray data alone by deprojecting the publicXMM-Newtonobservations of the cluster. We combined the NIKA2 pressure profile with the X-ray deprojected density to extract detailed information on the ICM. The radial distribution of its thermodynamic properties (the pressure, temperature and entropy) indicate that the cluster has a highly disturbed core. We also computed the hydrostatic mass of the cluster, which is compatible with estimations from SZ and X-ray scaling relations. We conclude that the NIKA2 SZ large program can deliver quality information on the thermodynamics of the ICM even for one of its faintest clusters after a careful treatment of the contamination by point sources.

Abundances from integrated spectra of 47 Tucanae (NGC 104)

ABSTRACT 47 Tucanae is among the most studied and observed globular clusters, given its proximity. The aim of this work is to study in detail the integrated spectrum of 47 Tucanae, as a template, in order to have a list of reliable lines that are validated for a moderate spectral resolution case. The spectrum of 47 Tucanae is reproduced by computing synthetic spectra, taking into account individual element abundances. The results are compared with other methods. We reproduce the integrated spectrum in the range 4500–9000 Å and derive abundances from individual lines of Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Ba, and Eu. We report a list of lines that are suitable for abundance derivation. Adopting these abundances, we are able to fit the well-known triplets of Mg i and Ca ii. Finally, the effect of multiple stellar populations through enhanced Na abundances are tested. Element abundances derived are compatible with previous literature abundances, from different methods. The method applied here to build integrated synthetic spectra can be used to derive abundances from observed integrated spectra of distant and faint clusters, that are usually observed at low or moderate spectral resolution.

Characterizing low-contrast Galactic open clusters with Gaia Data Release 2

ABSTRACT In this study, we characterized 16 objects previously classified as faint or low-contrast Galactic open clusters (OCs). We employed parameters associated with the dynamical evolution of the OCs: the core (rc), tidal (rt) and half-mass (rhm) radii, age and crossing time (tcr). Relations among these parameters were exploited to draw some evolutionary connections. We also included 11 OCs with previous characterizations to provide wider coverage of the parameter space. The investigated sample spans a considerable range in age, log (t yr−1) ∼7.0–9.7, and Galactocentric distance, RG ∼ 6–11 kpc). Most of these OCs present solar metallicity. We employed Gaia Data Release 2 astrometry and photometry, and we selected member stars through a decontamination algorithm that explores the three-dimensional astrometric space (μα, μδ, ϖ) to assign membership likelihoods. Previous studies of most of these objects were based mostly on photometric information. All investigated OCs were proved to be real stellar concentrations. The relations among their parameters indicate a general disruption scenario in which OCs tend to be more concentrated as they evolve. Internal interactions sucessively drive OCs to develop more dynamically relaxed structures and make them less subject to mass loss due to tidal effects. Tidal radius tends to increase with RG in accordance with the strength of the Galactic tidal field. Besides, the correlation between rc and the dynamical ratio τdyn = age/tcr suggests two distinct evolutionary sequences, which may be a consequence of different initial formation conditions.

Two Ultra-faint Milky Way Stellar Systems Discovered in Early Data from the DECam Local Volume Exploration Survey

Abstract We report the discovery of two ultra-faint stellar systems found in early data from the DECam Local Volume Exploration survey (DELVE). The first system, Centaurus I (DELVE J1238–4054), is identified as a resolved overdensity of old and metal-poor stars with a heliocentric distance of , a half-light radius of , an age of , a metallicity of , and an absolute magnitude of . This characterization is consistent with the population of ultra-faint satellites and confirmation of this system would make Centaurus I one of the brightest recently discovered ultra-faint dwarf galaxies. Centaurus I is detected in Gaia DR2 with a clear and distinct proper motion signal, confirming that it is a real association of stars distinct from the Milky Way foreground; this is further supported by the clustering of blue horizontal branch stars near the centroid of the system. The second system, DELVE 1 (DELVE J1630–0058), is identified as a resolved overdensity of stars with a heliocentric distance of , a half-light radius of , an age of , a metallicity of , and an absolute magnitude of , consistent with the known population of faint halo star clusters. Given the low number of probable member stars at magnitudes accessible with Gaia DR2, a proper motion signal for DELVE 1 is only marginally detected. We compare the spatial position and proper motion of both Centaurus I and DELVE 1 with simulations of the accreted satellite population of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and find that neither is likely to be associated with the LMC.

An Updated Small Magellanic Cloud and Magellanic Bridge Catalog of Star Clusters, Associations, and Related Objects

Abstract We present a catalog of star clusters, associations, and related extended objects in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) and the Magellanic Bridge with 2741 entries, a factor 2 more than a previous version from a decade ago. Literature data up until 2018 December are included. The identification of star clusters was carried out with digital atlases in various bands currently available in the Digitized Sky Survey and the Machine Automatique à Mésurer pour l’Astronomie. imaging surveys. In particular, we cross-identified recent cluster samples from the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy near-infrared YJK s survey of the Magellanic System, Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment IV, and Survey of the MAgellanic Stellar History surveys, confirming new clusters and pointing out equivalencies. A major contribution of the present catalog consists of the accurate central positions for clusters and small associations, including a new sample of 45 clusters or candidates in the SMC and 19 in the Magellanic Bridge, as well as a compilation of the most reliable age and metallicity values from the literature. A general catalog must also deal with the recent discoveries of 27 faint and ultra-faint star clusters and galaxies projected on the far surroundings of the Clouds, most of them from the Dark Energy Survey. The information on these objects has been complemented with photometric, spectroscopic, and kinematical follow-up data from the literature. The underluminous galaxies around the Magellanic System, still very few as compared to the predictions from Λ Cold Dark Matter simulations, can bring constraints to galaxy formation and hierarchical evolution. Furthermore, we provide diagnostics, when possible, of the nature of the ultra-faint clusters, searching for borders of the Magellanic System extensions into the Milky Way gravitational potential.

Absolute -band magnitudes and mass-to-light ratios of Galactic globular clusters

AbstractWe have usedHubble Space Telescopeand ground-based photometry to determine totalV-band magnitudes and mass-to-light ratios of more than 150 Galactic globular clusters. We do this by summing up the magnitudes of their individual member stars, using colour-magnitude information,GaiaDR2 proper motions, and radial velocities to distinguish cluster stars from background stars. Our new magnitudes confirm literature estimates for bright clusters with$V&lt;8$, but can deviate by up to two magnitudes from literature values for fainter clusters. They lead to absolute mass-to-light ratios that are confined to the narrow range$1.4&lt;M/L_V&lt;2.5$, significantly smaller than what was found before. We also find a correlation between a cluster’s$M/L_V$value and its age, in agreement with theoretical predictions. The$M/L_V$ratios of globular clusters are also in good agreement with those predicted by stellar isochrones, arguing against a significant amount of dark matter inside globular clusters. We finally find that, in agreement with what has been seen in M 31, the magnitude distribution of outer halo globular clusters has a tail towards faint clusters that is absent in the inner parts of the Milky Way.

FSR19 and FSR25 confirmed as two new faint and metal-rich globular clusters in the galactic bulge

We combined the near-IR photometry from the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea extended Survey (VVVX) with Gaia EDR3 catalog to study some properties of FSR19 and FSR25. These are confirmed to be low luminosity metal-rich bulge globular clusters (Obasi et al. 2020). The proper motions (PM) remain unchanged and the Color magnitude diagrams (CMD) are consistent with what we previously reported and the red giant branches are narrower than the field.

Probing cosmology and cluster astrophysics with multiwavelength surveys – I. Correlation statistics

ABSTRACT Upcoming multiwavelength astronomical surveys will soon discover all massive galaxy clusters and provide unprecedented constraints on cosmology and cluster astrophysics. In this paper, we investigate the constraining power of the multiband cluster surveys, through a joint analysis of three observables associated with clusters of galaxies, including thermal Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (tSZ) effect in cosmic microwave background (CMB), X-ray emission of ionized gas, and gravitational weak lensing effect of background galaxies by the cluster’s gravitational potential. We develop a theoretical framework to predict and interpret two-point correlation statistics among the three observables using a semi-analytic model of intracluster medium (ICM) and halo-based approach. In this work, we show that the auto- and cross-angular power spectra in tSZ, X-ray, and lensing statistics from upcoming missions (eROSITA, CMB-S4, and LSST) can help break the degeneracy between cosmology and ICM physics. These correlation statistics are less sensitive to selection biases, and are able to probe ICM physics in distant, faint, and small clusters that are otherwise difficult to be detected individually. We show that the correlation statistics are able to provide cosmological constraints comparable to the conventional cluster abundance measurements, while constraining cluster astrophysics at the same time. Our results indicate that the correlation statistics can significantly enhance the scientific returns of upcoming multiwavelength cluster surveys.

The Rest-frame H-band Luminosity Function of Red-sequence Galaxies in Clusters at 1.0 &lt; z &lt; 1.3

We present results on the rest-frame $H$-band luminosity functions (LF) of red sequence galaxies in seven clusters at 1.0 < z < 1.3 from the Gemini Observations of Galaxies in Rich Early Environments Survey (GOGREEN). Using deep GMOS-z' and IRAC $3.6 \mu$m imaging, we identify red sequence galaxies and measure their LFs down to $M_{H} \sim M_{H}^{*} + (2.0 - 3.0)$. By stacking the entire sample, we derive a shallow faint end slope of $ \alpha \sim -0.35^{+0.15}_{-0.15} $ and $ M_{H}^{*} \sim -23.52^{+0.15}_{-0.17} $, suggesting that there is a deficit of faint red sequence galaxies in clusters at high redshift. By comparing the stacked red sequence LF of our sample with a sample of clusters at z~0.6, we find an evolution in the faint end of the red sequence over the ~2.6 Gyr between the two samples, with the mean faint end red sequence luminosity growing by more than a factor of two. The faint-to-luminous ratio of our sample ($0.78^{+0.19}_{-0.15}$) is consistent with the trend of decreasing ratio with increasing redshift as proposed in previous studies. A comparison with the field shows that the faint-to-luminous ratios in clusters are consistent with the field at z~1.15 and exhibit a stronger redshift dependence. Our results support the picture that the build up of the faint red sequence galaxies occurs gradually over time and suggest that faint cluster galaxies, similar to bright cluster galaxies, experience the quenching effect induced by environment already at z~1.15.