Local Stellar Density Research Articles

Evolution of circumstellar discs in young star-forming regions

ABSTRACT The evolution of circumstellar discs is influenced by their surroundings. The relevant processes include external photoevaporation due to nearby stars and dynamical truncations. The impact of these processes on disc populations depends on the star-formation history and on the dynamical evolution of the region. Since star-formation history and the phase-space characteristics of the stars are important for the evolution of the discs, we start simulating the evolution of the star cluster with the results of molecular cloud collapse simulations. In the simulation, we form stars with circumstellar discs, which can be affected by different processes. Our models account for the viscous evolution of the discs, internal and external photoevaporation of gas, external photoevaporation of dust, and dynamical truncations. All these processes are resolved together with the dynamical evolution of the cluster, and the evolution of the stars. An extended period of star formation, lasting for at least 2 Myr, results in some discs being formed late. These late-formed discs have a better chance of survival because the cluster gradually expands with time, and a lower local stellar density reduces the effects of photoevaporation and dynamical truncation. Late formed discs can then be present in regions of high UV radiation, solving the proplyd lifetime problem. We also find a considerable fraction of discs that lose their gas content but remain sufficiently rich in solids to be able to form a rocky planetary system.

Forming short period sub-stellar companions in 47 Tucanae – II. Analytical expressions for the orbital evolution of planets in dense environments

ABSTRACT Short period, massive planets, known as hot Jupiters (HJs), have been discovered around ∼1 per cent of local field stars. The inward migration necessary to produce HJs may be ‘low eccentricity’, due to torques in the primordial disc, or ‘high eccentricity’ (HEM). The latter involves exciting high orbital eccentricity, allowing sufficiently close passages with the host star to raise circularizing tides in the planet. We present an analytical framework for quantifying the role of dynamical encounters in high density environments during HEM. We show that encounters can enhance or suppress HEM, depending on the local stellar density and the initial semimajor axis a0. For moderate densities, external perturbations can excite large eccentricities that allow a planet to circularize over the stellar lifetime. At extremely high densities, these perturbations can instead result in tidal disruption of the planet, thus yielding no HJ. This may explain the apparent excess of HJs in M67 compared with their local field star abundance versus their apparent deficit in 47 Tuc. Applying our analytical framework, we demonstrate that for an initial massive planet population similar to the field, the expected HJ occurrence rate in 47 Tuc is fHJ = 2.2 × 10−3, which remains consistent with present constraints. Future large (sample sizes ≳105) or sensitive transit surveys of stars in globular clusters are required to refute the hypothesis that the initial planet population is similar to the solar neighbourhood average. Non-detection in such surveys would have broad consequences for planet formation theory, implying planet formation rates in globular clusters must be suppressed across a wide range of a0.

Effects of stellar density on the photoevaporation of circumstellar discs

ABSTRACT Circumstellar discs are the precursors of planetary systems and develop shortly after their host star has formed. In their early stages, these discs are immersed in an environment rich in gas and neighbouring stars, which can be hostile for their survival. There are several environmental processes that affect the evolution of circumstellar discs, and external photoevaporation is arguably one of the most important ones. Theoretical and observational evidence point to circumstellar discs losing mass quickly when in the vicinity of massive, bright stars. In this work, we simulate circumstellar discs in clustered environments in a range of stellar densities, where the photoevaporation mass-loss process is resolved simultaneously with the stellar dynamics, stellar evolution, and the viscous evolution of the discs. Our results indicate that external photoevaporation is efficient in depleting disc masses and that the degree of its effect is related to stellar density. We find that a local stellar density lower than 100 stars pc−2 is necessary for discs massive enough to form planets to survive for 2.0 Myr. There is an order of magnitude difference in the disc masses in regions of projected density 100 versus 104 stars pc−2. We compare our results to observations of the Lupus clouds, the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Orion Molecular Cloud-2, Taurus, and NGC 2024, and find that the trends observed between region density and disc masses are similar to those in our simulations.

Consistent Calibration of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch in the Large Magellanic Cloud on the Hubble Space Telescope Photometric System and a Redetermination of the Hubble Constant

Abstract We present a calibration of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/ACS F814W system. We use archival HST observations to derive blending corrections and photometric transformations for two ground-based wide-area imaging surveys of the Magellanic Clouds. We show that these surveys are biased bright by up to ∼0.1 mag in the optical due to blending, and that the bias is a function of local stellar density. We correct the LMC TRGB magnitudes from Jang & Lee and use the geometric distance from Pietrzyński et al. to obtain an absolute TRGB magnitude of . Applying this calibration to the TRGB magnitudes from Freedman et al. in SN Ia hosts yields a value for the Hubble constant of H 0 = 72.4 ± 2.0 km s−1 Mpc−1 for their TRGB+SNe Ia distance ladder. The difference in the TRGB calibration and the value of H 0 derived here and by Freedman et al. primarily results from their overestimate of the LMC extinction, caused by inconsistencies in their different sources of TRGB photometry for the Magellanic Clouds. Using the same source of photometry (OGLE) for both Clouds and applying the aforementioned corrections yields a value for the LMC I-band TRGB extinction that is lower by 0.06 mag, consistent with independent OGLE reddening maps used by us and by Jang & Lee to calibrate TRGB and determine H 0.

Kinematics of Hot Subdwarfs from the Gaia DR2 Catalogue

We have studied the kinematic properties of the candidates for hot subdwarfs (HSDs) selected by Geier et al. from the Gaia DR2 catalogue. We have used a total of 12 515 stars with relative trigonometric parallax errors less than 30\%. The HSDs are shown to have different kinematics, depending on their positions on the celestial sphere. For example, the sample of low-latitude $(|b|<20^\circ)$ HSDs rotates around the Galactic center with a linear velocity $V_0=221\pm5$ km s$^{-1}$. This suggests that they belong to the Galactic thin disk. At the same time, they lag behind the local standard of rest by $\Delta V_\odot\sim16$ km s$^{-1}$ due to the asymmetric drift. The high-latitude ($|b|\geq20^\circ$) HSDs rotate with a considerably lower velocity, $V_0=168\pm6$ km s$^{-1}$. Their lagging behind the local standard of rest is already $\Delta V_\odot\sim40$ km s$^{-1}$. Based on the entire sample of 12 515 HSDs, we have found a positive rotation around the $x$ axis significantly differing from zero with an angular velocity $\omega_1=1.36\pm0.24$ km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-1}$. We have studied the samples of HSDs that are complete within $r<1.5$ kpc. Based on them, we have traced the evolution of the parameters of the residual velocity ellipsoid as a function of both latitude $|b|$ and coordinate $|z|.$ The following vertical disk scale heights have been found: $h=180\pm6$ and $290\pm10$ pc from the low- and high-latitude HSDs, respectively. A new estimate of the local stellar density $\Sigma_{out}=53\pm4~M_{\odot}$/kpc$^2$ kpc$^{-2}$ has been obtained for $z_{out}=0.56$ kpc from the high-latitude HSDs.

First Gaia Dynamics of the Andromeda System: DR2 Proper Motions, Orbits, and Rotation of M31 and M33

Abstract The 3D velocities of M31 and M33 are important for understanding the evolution and cosmological context of the Local Group. Their most massive stars are detected by Gaia, and we use Data Release 2 (DR2) to determine the galaxy proper motions (PMs). We select galaxy members based on, e.g., parallax, PM, color–magnitude diagram location, and local stellar density. The PM rotation of both galaxies is confidently detected, consistent with the known line-of-sight rotation curves: (counterclockwise) for M31, and (clockwise) for M33. We measure the center-of-mass PM of each galaxy relative to surrounding background quasars in DR2. This yields that equals for M31 and for M33. In addition to the listed random errors, each component has an additional residual systematic error of . These results are consistent at 0.8σ and 1.0σ with the (2 and 3 times higher accuracy) measurements already available from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) optical imaging and Very Long Baseline Array water maser observations, respectively. This lends confidence that all these measurements are robust. The new results imply that the M31 orbit toward the Milky Way (MW) is somewhat less radial than previously inferred, , and strengthen arguments that M33 may be on its first infall into M31. The results highlight the future potential of Gaia for PM studies beyond the MW satellite system.

Protoplanetary disc truncation mechanisms in stellar clusters: comparing external photoevaporation and tidal encounters

Most stars form and spend their early life in regions of enhanced stellar density. Therefore the evolution of protoplanetary discs (PPDs) hosted by such stars are subject to the influence of other members of the cluster. Physically, PPDs might be truncated either by photoevaporation due to ultraviolet flux from massive stars, or tidal truncation due to close stellar encounters. Here we aim to compare the two effects in real cluster environments. In this vein we first review the properties of well studied stellar clusters with a focus on stellar number density, which largely dictates the degree of tidal truncation, and far ultraviolet (FUV) flux, which is indicative of the rate of external photoevaporation. We then review the theoretical PPD truncation radius due to an arbitrary encounter, additionally taking into account the role of eccentric encounters that play a role in hot clusters with a 1D velocity dispersion $\sigma_v > 2$ km/s. Our treatment is then applied statistically to varying local environments to establish a canonical threshold for the local stellar density ($n_{c} > 10^4$ pc$^{-3}$) for which encounters can play a significant role in shaping the distribution of PPD radii over a timescale $\sim 3$ Myr. By combining theoretical mass loss rates due to FUV flux with viscous spreading in a PPD we establish a similar threshold for which a massive disc is completely destroyed by external photoevaporation. Comparing these thresholds in local clusters we find that if either mechanism has a significant impact on the PPD population then photoevaporation is always the dominating influence.

Simulations of Fractal Star Cluster Formation. I. New Insights for Measuring Mass Segregation of Star Clusters with Substructure

Abstract We compare the existent methods, including the minimum spanning tree based method and the local stellar density based method, in measuring mass segregation of star clusters. We find that the minimum spanning tree method reflects more the compactness, which represents the global spatial distribution of massive stars, while the local stellar density method reflects more the crowdedness, which provides the local gravitational potential information. It is suggested to measure the local and the global mass segregation simultaneously. We also develop a hybrid method that takes both aspects into account. This hybrid method balances the local and the global mass segregation in the sense that the predominant one is either caused by dynamical evolution or purely accidental, especially when such information is unknown a priori. In addition, we test our prescriptions with numerical models and show the impact of binaries in estimating the mass segregation value. As an application, we use these methods on the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) observations and the Taurus cluster. We find that the ONC is significantly mass segregated down to the 20th most massive stars. In contrast, the massive stars of the Taurus cluster are sparsely distributed in many different subclusters, showing a low degree of compactness. The massive stars of Taurus are also found to be distributed in the high-density region of the subclusters, showing significant mass segregation at subcluster scales. Meanwhile, we also apply these methods to discuss the possible mechanisms of the dynamical evolution of the simulated substructured star clusters.

Bright gamma-ray Galactic Center excess and dark dwarfs: Strong tension for dark matter annihilation despite Milky Way halo profile and diffuse emission uncertainties

We incorporate Milky Way dark matter halo profile uncertainties, as well as an accounting of diffuse gamma-ray emission uncertainties in dark matter annihilation models for the Galactic Center Extended gamma-ray excess (GCE) detected by the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope. The range of particle annihilation rate and masses expand when including these unknowns. However, two of the most precise empirical determinations of the Milky Way halo's local density and density profile leave the signal region to be in considerable tension with dark matter annihilation searches from combined dwarf galaxy analyses for single-channel dark matter annihilation models. The GCE and dwarf tension can be alleviated if: one, the halo is very highly concentrated or strongly contracted; two, the dark matter annihilation signal differentiates between dwarfs and the GC; or, three, local stellar density measures are found to be significantly lower, like that from recent stellar counts, increasing the local dark matter density.

SPECTROSCOPIC ASSESSMENT OFWISE-BASED YOUNG STELLAR OBJECT SELECTION NEARλANDσORIONIS

We have conducted a sensitive search down to the hydrogen burning limit for unextincted stars over $\sim$200 square degrees around Lambda Orionis and 20 square degrees around Sigma Orionis using the methodology of Koenig & Leisawitz (2014). From WISE and 2MASS data we identify 544 and 418 candidate YSOs in the vicinity of Lambda and Sigma respectively. Based on our followup spectroscopy for some candidates and the existing literature for others, we found that $\sim$80% of the K14-selected candidates are probable or likely members of the Orion star forming region. The yield from the photometric selection criteria shows that WISE sources with $K_S -w3 > 1.5$ mag and $K_S $ between 10--12 mag are most likely to show spectroscopic signs of youth, while WISE sources with $K_S -w3 > 4$ mag and $K_S > 12$ were often AGNs when followed up spectroscopically. The population of candidate YSOs traces known areas of active star formation, with a few new `hot spots' of activity near Lynds 1588 and 1589 and a more dispersed population of YSOs in the northern half of the HII region bubble around $\sigma$ and $\epsilon$ Ori. A minimal spanning tree analysis of the two regions to identify stellar groupings finds that roughly two-thirds of the YSO candidates in each region belong to groups of 5 or more members. The population of stars selected by WISE outside the MST groupings also contains spectroscopically verified YSOs, with a local stellar density as low as 0.5 stars per square degree.

The fragility of planetary systems

We specify the range to which perturbations penetrate a planetesimal system. Such perturbations can originate from massive planets or from encounters with other stars. The latter can have an origin in the star cluster in which the planetary system was born, or from random encounters once the planetary system has escaped its parental cluster. The probability of a random encounter, either in a star cluster or in the Galactic field depends on the local stellar density, the velocity dispersion and the time spend in that environment. By adopting order of magnitude estimates we argue that the majority of planetary systems born in open clusters will have a {\em Parking zone}, in which planetesimals are affected by encounters in their parental star cluster but remain unperturbed after the star has left the cluster. Objects found in this range of semi-major axis and eccentricity preserve the memory of the encounter that last affected their orbits, and they can therefore be used to reconstruct this encounter. Planetary systems born in a denser environment, such as in a globular cluster are unlikely to have a Parking zone. We further argue that some planetary systems may have a {\em Frozen zone}, in which orbits are not affected either by the more inner massive planets or by external influences. Objects discovered in this zone will have preserved information about their formation in their orbital parameters.

The clustering of galaxies in the SDSS-III DR9 Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity

We analyze the density field of 264,283 galaxies observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) and included in the SDSS data release nine (DR9). In total, the SDSS DR9 BOSS data includes spectroscopic redshifts for over 400,000 galaxies spread over a footprint of more than 3,000 deg^2. We measure the power spectrum of these galaxies with redshifts 0.43 < z < 0.7 in order to constrain the amount of local non-Gaussianity, f_NL,local, in the primordial density field, paying particular attention to the impact of systematic uncertainties. The BOSS galaxy density field is systematically affected by the local stellar density and this influences the ability to accurately measure f_NL,local. In the absence of any correction, we find (erroneously) that the probability that f_NL,local is greater than zero, P(f_NL,local >0), is 99.5%. After quantifying and correcting for the systematic bias and including the added uncertainty, we find -45 < f_NL,local < 195 at 95% confidence, and P(f_NL,local >0) = 91.0%. A more conservative approach assumes that we have only learned the k-dependence of the systematic bias and allows any amplitude for the systematic correction; we find that the systematic effect is not fully degenerate with that of f_NL,local, and we determine that -82 < f_NL,local < 178 (at 95% confidence) and P(f_NL,local >0) = 68%. This analysis demonstrates the importance of accounting for the impact of Galactic foregrounds on f_NL,local measurements. We outline the methods that account for these systematic biases and uncertainties. We expect our methods to yield robust constraints on f_NL,local for both our own and future large-scale-structure investigations.

The clustering of galaxies in the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: analysis of potential systematics

We analyze the density field of galaxies observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) included in the SDSS Data Release Nine (DR9). DR9 includes spectroscopic redshifts for over 400,000 galaxies spread over a footprint of 3,275 deg^2. We identify, characterize, and mitigate the impact of sources of systematic uncertainty on large-scale clustering measurements, both for angular moments of the redshift-space correlation function and the spherically averaged power spectrum, P(k), in order to ensure that robust cosmological constraints will be obtained from these data. A correlation between the projected density of stars and the higher redshift (0.43 < z < 0.7) galaxy sample (the `CMASS' sample) due to imaging systematics imparts a systematic error that is larger than the statistical error of the clustering measurements at scales s > 120h^-1Mpc or k < 0.01hMpc^-1. We find that these errors can be ameliorated by weighting galaxies based on their surface brightness and the local stellar density. We use mock galaxy catalogs that simulate the CMASS selection function to determine that randomly selecting galaxy redshifts in order to simulate the radial selection function of a random sample imparts the least systematic error on correlation function measurements and that this systematic error is negligible for the spherically averaged correlation function. The methods we recommend for the calculation of clustering measurements using the CMASS sample are adopted in companion papers that locate the position of the baryon acoustic oscillation feature (Anderson et al. 2012), constrain cosmological models using the full shape of the correlation function (Sanchez et al. 2012), and measure the rate of structure growth (Reid et al. 2012). (abridged)

The Galactic Disk Mass Budget. II. Brown Dwarf Mass Function and Density

In this paper, we extend the calculations conducted previously in the stellar regime to determine the brown dwarf IMF in the Galactic disk. We perform Monte Carlo calculations taking into account the brown dwarf formation rate, spatial distribution and binary fraction. Comparison with existing surveys seems to exclude a power-law MF as steep as the one determined in the stellar regime below 1 $\msol$ and tends to favor a more flatish behaviour. Comparison with methane-dwarf detections tends to favor an eventually decreasing form like the lognormal or the more general exponential distributions determined in the previous paper. We calculate predicting brown dwarf counts in near-infrared color diagrams and brown dwarf discovery functions. These calculations yield the presently most accurate determination of the brown dwarf census in the Galactic disk. The brown dwarf number density is comparable to the stellar one, $n_{BD}\simeq n_\star\simeq 0.1$ pc$^{-3}$. The corresponding brown dwarf mass density, however, represents only about 10% of the stellar contribution, i.e. $\rho_{BD}\simle 5.0\times 10^{-3} \mvol$. Adding up the local stellar density determined previously yields the density of star-like objects, stars and brown dwarfs, in the solar neighborhood $\rho_\odot \approx 5.0\times 10^{-2} \mvol$.

Solar Neighbourhood as the Local Macroscopic Volume Element Within the Galaxy

The notion of the local Macroscopic Volume Element (MVE) is introduced in order to facilitate the application of hydro-dynamical methods of treating internal motions in stellar systems and in particular in our Galaxy. The MVE must characterize the properties of the stellar system in a given point within the system. Hence the diameter of the MVE must be taken as small as possible; it must, however, contain a sufficiently large number of stars in order that the laws of statistics might be applied. The greater is the local star density the smaller can be made the size of the MVE.Modern catalogues of nearby stars by Gliese (1969) and Woolley et al. (1970) afford a good collection of data for a determination of local characteristics of the Galaxy in the immediate neighbourhood of the Sun. In the first section we discuss such characteristics as the local stellar density, the local luminosity function and the influence of observational selection upon them. In the second section we consider the local solar motion and the effect of the asymmetry of stellar motions. The responsibility for the content of paragraph 1 lies primarily upon T. A. Agekjan while that for paragraph 2 upon K. F. Ogorodnikov. We both are indebted to G. V. Ishkhanov and to L. V. Chuvicova for substantial help in numerical computations.