Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph Research Articles

A Second Galaxy Missing Dark Matter in the NGC 1052 Group

Abstract The ultra-diffuse galaxy NGC1052-DF2 has a very low velocity dispersion, indicating that it has little or no dark matter. Here we report the discovery of a second galaxy in this class, residing in the same group. NGC1052-DF4 closely resembles NGC1052-DF2 in terms of its size, surface brightness, and morphology; has a similar distance of ; and also has a population of luminous globular clusters extending out to from the center of the galaxy. Accurate radial velocities of the diffuse galaxy light and seven of the globular clusters were obtained with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph on the Keck I telescope. The velocity of the diffuse light is identical to the median velocity of the clusters, , and close to the central velocity of the NGC 1052 group. The rms spread of the globular cluster velocities is very small at . Taking observational uncertainties into account we determine an intrinsic velocity dispersion of , consistent with the expected value from the stars alone ( ) and lower than expected from a standard NFW halo ( ). We conclude that NGC1052-DF2 is not an isolated case but that a class of such objects exists. The origin of these large, faint galaxies with an excess of luminous globular clusters and an apparent lack of dark matter is, at present, not understood.

Polarization modeling and predictions for DKIST part 3: focal ratio and thermal dependencies of spectral polarization fringes and optic retardance

Data products from high spectral resolution astronomical polarimeters are often limited by fringes. Fringes can skew derived magnetic field properties from spectropolarimetric data. Fringe removal algorithms can also corrupt the data if the fringes and object signals are too similar. For some narrow-band imaging polarimeters, fringes change the calibration retarder properties and dominate the calibration errors. Systems-level engineering tools for polarimetric instrumentation require accurate predictions of fringe amplitudes, periods for transmission, diattenuation, and retardance. The relevant instabilities caused by environmental, thermal, and optical properties can be modeled and mitigation tools developed. We create spectral polarization fringe amplitude and temporal instability predictions by applying the Berreman calculus and simple interferometric calculations to optics in beams of varying F/ number. We then apply the formalism to superachromatic six-crystal retarders in converging beams under beam thermal loading in outdoor environmental conditions for two of the world’s largest observatories: the 10-m Keck telescope and the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST). DKIST will produce a 300-W optical beam, which has imposed stringent requirements on the large diameter six-crystal retarders, dichroic beamsplitters, and internal optics. DKIST retarders are used in a converging beam with F/ ratios between 8 and 62. The fringe spectral periods, amplitudes, and thermal models of retarder behavior assisted DKIST optical designs and calibration plans with future application to many astronomical spectropolarimeters. The Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph with polarimetry instrument at Keck also uses six-crystal retarders in a converging F / 13 beam in a Cassegrain focus exposed to summit environmental conditions providing observational verification of our predictions.

SPECTROSCOPIC MEASUREMENTS OF THE FAR-ULTRAVIOLET DUST ATTENUATION CURVE AT z ∼ 3*

ABSTRACT We present the first spectroscopic measurements of the shape of the far-ultraviolet (far-UV; Å) dust attenuation curve at high redshift ( ). Our analysis employs rest-frame UV spectra of 933 galaxies at , 121 of which have very deep spectroscopic observations ( hr) at , with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph on the Keck Telescope. By using an iterative approach in which we calculate the ratios of composite spectra in different bins of continuum color excess, , we derive a dust curve that implies a lower attenuation in the far-UV for a given than those obtained with standard attenuation curves. We demonstrate that the UV composite spectra of galaxies can be modeled well by assuming our new attenuation curve, a high covering fraction of H i, and absorption from the Lyman–Werner bands of with a small ( ) covering fraction. The low covering fraction of relative to that of the and dust suggests that most of the dust in the ISM of typical galaxies at is unrelated to the catalysis of , and is associated with other phases of the ISM (i.e., the ionized and neutral gas). The far-UV dust curve implies a factor of lower dust attenuation of Lyman continuum (ionizing) photons relative to those inferred from the most commonly assumed attenuation curves for L* galaxies at . Our results may be utilized to assess the degree to which ionizing photons are attenuated in H ii regions or, more generally, in the ionized or low column density ( cm−2) neutral ISM of high-redshift galaxies.

Diagnostics of small-scale details on asteroid’s surface from the fast spectrophotometry data

To study the mineralogical composition of an asteroid’s surface with a technique of colorimetry of small-scale details, we propose fast spectrophotometry with a low-resolution imaging spectrograph and a time resolution of a few minutes. In contrast to global tomography, our method allows only the features of small scale, as compared to the asteroid’s size, to be detected. As an example, the surface of asteroid 130 Elektra exhibits approximately 16 spots of different mineralogical composition; their sizes range from 13 to 30 km. Except for several cases, the absorption spectra of these features are typical of the olivine–pyroxene compounds. In principle, color characteristics of the spots in the UBVRI color system allow the mineralogical composition of the surface of a small celestial body to be identified.

THE ASSEMBLY HISTORY OF DISK GALAXIES. II. PROBING THE EMERGING TULLY-FISHER RELATION DURING 1 <z< 1.7

Through extended integrations using the recently installed deep depletion CCD on the red arm of the Keck I Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph, we present new measurements of the resolved spectra of 70 morphologically selected star-forming galaxies with iAB < 24.1 in the redshift range 1 ≲ z < 1.7. Using the formalism introduced in Paper I of this series and available Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys images, we successfully recover rotation curves using the extended emission line distribution of [O ii] 3727 Å to 2.2 times the disk scale radius for a sample of 42 galaxies. Combining these measures with stellar masses derived from HST and ground-based near-infrared photometry enables us to construct the stellar mass Tully–Fisher relation (M*-TFR) in the time interval between the well-constructed relation defined at z ≃ 1 in Paper I and the growing body of resolved dynamics probed with integral field unit spectrographs at z > 2. Remarkably, we find a well-defined TFR with up to 60% increase in scatter and zero-point shift constraint of ΔM* = 0.02 ± 0.02 dex since z ∼ 1.7, compared to the local relation. Although our sample is incomplete in terms of either a fixed stellar mass or star formation rate limit, we discuss the implications that typical star-forming disk galaxies evolve to arrive on a well-defined TFR within a surprisingly short period of cosmic history.

The scatter about the ‘Universal’ dwarf spheroidal mass profile: a kinematic study of the M31 satellites And V and And VI

While the satellites of the Milky Way (MW) have been shown to be largely consistent in terms of their mass contained within one half--light radius (M_{half}) with a "Universal" mass profile, a number of M31 satellites are found to be inconsistent with such relations, and seem kinematically colder in their central regions than their MW cousins. In this work, we present new kinematic and updated structural properties for two M31 dSphs, And V and And VI using data from the Keck Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph (LRIS) and the DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph (DEIMOS) instruments and the Subaru Suprime-Cam imager. We measure systemic velocities of v_r=-393.1+/-4.2km/s and -344.8+/-2.5km/s, and dispersions of sigma_v=11.5{+5.3}{-4.4}km/s and sigma_v=9.4{+3.2}{-2.4}km/s for And V and And VI respectively, meaning these two objects are consistent with the trends in sigma_v and r_{half} set by their MW counterparts. We also investigate the nature of this scatter about the MW dSph mass profiles for the "Classical" (i.e. M_V<-8) MW and M31 dSphs. When comparing both the "classical" MW and M31 dSphs to the best--fit mass profiles in the size--velocity dispersion plane, we find general scatter in both the positive (i.e. hotter) and negative (i.e. colder) directions from these profiles. However, barring one exception (CVnI) only the M31 dSphs are found to scatter towards a colder regime, and, excepting the And I dSph, only MW objects scatter to hotter dispersions. We also note that the scatter for the combined population is greater than expected from measurement errors alone. We assess this divide in the context of the differing disc-to-halo mass (i.e. stars and baryons to total virial mass) ratios of the two hosts and argue that the underlying mass profiles for dSphs differ from galaxy to galaxy, and are modified by the baryonic component of the host.

Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy of Starburst and Post-Starburst Galaxies in the Rich z ∼0.55 Cluster CL 0016+16

AbstractWe have used the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph on the W. M. Keck I telescope to obtain spatially resolved spectroscopy of a small sample of six ‘post-starburst’ and three ‘dusty-starburst’ galaxies in the rich cluster CL 0016+16 at z=0.55. We use this to measure radial profiles of the Hδ and [OII]λ3727 lines which are diagnostic probes of the mechanisms that give rise to the abrupt changes in star formation rates in these galaxies. In the post-starburst sample we are unable to detect any radial gradients in the Hδ line equivalent width — although one galaxy exhibits a gradient from one side of the galaxy to the other. The absence of Hδ gradients in these galaxies is consistent with their production via interaction with the intracluster medium; however, our limited spatial sampling prevents us from drawing robust conclusions. All members of the sample have early-type morphologies, typical of post-starburst galaxies in general, but lack the high incidence of tidal tails and disturbances seen in local field samples. This argues against a merger origin and adds weight to a scenario where truncation by the intra-cluster medium is at work. The post-starburst spectral signature is consistent over the radial extent probed with no evidence of [OII]λ3727 emission and strong Hδ absorption at all radii, i.e. the post-starburst classification is not an aperture effect. In contrast the ‘dusty-starburst’ sample shows a tendency for a central concentration of [OII]λ3727 emission. This is most straightforwardly interpreted as the consequence of a central starburst. However, other possibilities exist such as a non-uniform dust distribution (which is expected in such galaxies) and/or a non-uniform starburst age distribution. The members of the sample exhibit late-type and irregular morphologies.

The stellar population histories of early-type galaxies – III. The Coma cluster

Abstract We present stellar population parameters of 12 elliptical and S0 galaxies in the Coma cluster around and including the cD galaxy NGC 4874, based on spectra obtained using the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph on the Keck II Telescope. Our data are among the most precise and accurate absorption-line strengths yet obtained for cluster galaxies, allowing us to examine in detail the zero-point and scatter in the stellar population properties of Coma cluster early-type galaxies (ETGs). Recent observations of red sequence galaxies in the high-redshift Universe and generic hierarchical galaxy formation models lead to the following expectations for the stellar populations of local ETGs. (1) In all environments, bigger ETGs should have older stellar populations than smaller ETGs (‘downsizing’); (2) ETGs at fixed stellar mass form stars earlier and thus should have older stellar population ages in the highest density environments than those in lower density environments and (3) the most massive ETGs in the densest environments should have a small spread in stellar population ages. We find the following surprising results using our sample. (1) Our ETGs have single-stellar-population-equivalent (SSP-equivalent) ages of on average 5–8 Gyr with the models used here, with the oldest galaxies having SSP-equivalent ages of ≲10-Gyr old. This average age is identical to the mean age of field ETGs. (2) The ETGs in our sample span a large range in velocity dispersion (mass) but are consistent with being drawn from a population with a single age. Specifically, 10 of the 12 ETGs in our sample are consistent within their formal errors of having the same SSP-equivalent age, 5.2 ± 0.2 Gyr, over a factor of more than 750 in mass. We therefore find no evidence for downsizing of the stellar populations of ETGs in the core of the Coma cluster. We confirm the lack of a trend of SSP-equivalent age with mass in the core of the Coma cluster from all other samples of Coma cluster ETG absorption-line strengths available in the literature, but we do find from the largest samples that the dispersion in age increases with decreasing mass. These conclusions stand in stark contrast to the expectations from observations of high-redshift red sequence galaxies and model predictions. We suggest that Coma cluster ETGs may have formed the majority of their mass at high redshifts but suffered small but detectable star formation events at z≈ 0.1–0.3. In this case, previous detections of ‘downsizing’ from stellar populations of local ETGs may not reflect the same downsizing seen in look-back studies of RSGs, as the young ages of the local ETGs represent only a small fraction of their total masses.

The DEEP Groth Strip Survey. I. The Sample

The Deep Extragalactic Exploratory Probe (DEEP) is a multi-phase research program dedicated to the study of the formation and evolution of galaxies and of large scale structure in the distant Universe. This paper describes the first five-year phase, denoted DEEP1. A series of ten DEEP1 papers will discuss a range of scientific topics (e.g., the study of photometric and spectral properties of a general distant galaxy survey, the evolution observed in galaxy populations of varied morphologies). The observational basis for these studies is the Groth Survey Strip field, a 127 square arcminute region which has been observed with the Hubble Space Telescope in both broad I-band and V-band optical filters and with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph on the Keck Telescopes. Catalogs of photometric and structural parameters have been constructed for 11,547 galaxies and stars at magnitudes brighter than 29, and spectroscopy has been conducted for a magnitude-color weighted subsample of 818 objects. We evaluate three independent techniques for constructing an imaging catalog for the field from the HST data, and discuss the depth and sampling of the resultant catalogs. The selection of the spectroscopic subsample is discussed, and we describe the multifaceted approach taken to prioritizing objects of interest for a variety of scientific subprograms. A series of Monte Carlo simulations then demonstrates that the spectroscopic subsample can be adequately modeled as a simple function of magnitude and color cuts in the imaging catalog.

Luminosity Functions of the Galaxy Cluster MS 1054−0321 atz = 0.83 based on ACS Photometry

We present new measurements of the galaxy luminosity function (LF) and its dependence on local galaxy density, color, morphology, and clustocentric radius for the massive z = 0.83 cluster MS 1054-0321. Our analyses are based on imaging performed with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in the F606W, F775W, and F850LP passbands and extensive spectroscopic data obtained with the Keck Low-Resolution Imaging Spectrograph. Our main results are based on a spectroscopically selected sample of 143 cluster members with morphological classifications derived from the ACS observations. Our three primary findings are (1) the faint-end slope of the LF is steepest in the bluest filter, (2) the LF in the inner part of the cluster (or highest density regions) has a flatter faint-end slope, and (3) the fraction of early-type galaxies is higher at the bright end of the LF, and gradually decreases toward fainter magnitudes. These characteristics are consistent with those in local galaxy clusters, indicating that, at least in massive clusters, the common characteristics of cluster LFs are established at z = 0.83. These results provide additional support for the hypothesis that the formation of galaxies in MS 1054-0321 began at redshifts considerably greater than unity. We also find a 2 σ deficit of intrinsically faint, red galaxies (i775 - z850 ≥ 0.5, Mi > -19) in this cluster. Although the significance is marginal, this trend may suggest that faint, red galaxies (which are common in z 30 Mpc-2, coinciding with the environment where the galaxy star formation rate and the morphology-density relation start to appear. A physical process that begins to become effective at around the virial radius or Σ ~ 30 Mpc-2 may thus be responsible for the evolution of color and luminosity of cluster galaxies.

Comet nucleus size distributions from HST and Keck telescopes

The Wide Field Camera (WFC) on the Hubble Space Telescope and the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph (LRIS) on the Keck II telescope have been used to image 21 distant dynamically new, long-period (LP) and short-period (SP) Jupiter-family (JF) comet nuclei (near aphelion), as part of a long-term program to search for physical differences between short-period comets and Oort cloud comets. WFC data were obtained on Comets C/1987 H1 (Shoemaker) and C/1984 K1 (Shoemaker) during Cycle 5 (1995 December) and on C/1988 B1 (Shoemaker), C/1987 F1 (Torres), and C/1983 O1 (Černis) during Cycle 6 (1997 April, May, and June). The HST comets were at heliocentric distances 20.4 < r[AU] < 29.5. Each comet observation was allocated 7 orbits, for ≈3.6 hrs of integration. The most difficult part of the image reduction was the removal of cosmic rays. We present our scheme for cosmic ray removal. None of the HST comet nuclei was detected to the 3- σ level at m R ∼27. The inferred upper limits to the nucleus radii are 4.0<R N [ km]<10.5 . The SP comets range in radius between 0.34<R N [ km]<15.4 , with a median value of R N ∼1.61 km. The LP comets ranged in size between <4.0–56 km. Over a range of radii between 1–10 km, the nuclei can be fit with a cumulative distribution N(> R N )∝ R N − α with α=1.45±0.05, and for nuclei in the range 2–5 km, α=1.91±0.06. Statistical analysis and modeling shows that the slopes of the observed TNO and JF comet distributions are not compatible, suggesting that the intrinsic distribution of JF comet nuclei is a differential a −3.5 power law truncated at small nucleus radii between 0.3 and 2.0 km.

Further Multiwavelength Observations of the SSA 22 Lyα‐Emitting Blob

We present new follow-up observations of the submillimeter luminous Lyα-emitting object in the SSA 22 z = 3.09 galaxy overdensity, referred to as blob 1 by Steidel and coworkers. In particular, we discuss high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope (HST) optical imaging, Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) spectral imaging, Keck spectroscopy, Very Large Array (VLA) 20 cm radio continuum imaging, and Chandra X-ray observations. We also present a more complete analysis of the existing James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) submillimeter data. We detect several optical continuum components that may be associated with the core of the submillimeter-emitting region. A radio source at the position of one of the HST components [α = 22h17m2594, δ = +00°12'389] identifies it as the likely counterpart to the submillimeter source. We also tentatively detect the CO(4-3) molecular line centered on the radio position. We use the CO(4-3) intensity to estimate a limit on the gas mass for the system. The optical morphology of sources within the Lyα cloud appears to be filamentary, while the optical source identified with the radio source has a dense knot that may be an active galactic nucleus (AGN) or compact starburst. We obtain a Keck Low-Resolution Imaging Spectrograph (LRIS) spectrum of this object, despite its faintness (R = 26.8). The spectrum reveals weak Lyα emission but no other obvious features, suggesting that the source is not an energetic AGN (or that it is extremely obscured). We use nondetections in deep Chandra X-ray images to constrain the nature of the blob. Although conclusive evidence regarding the nature of the object remains hard to obtain at this redshift, the evidence presented here is at least consistent with a dust-obscured AGN surrounded by a starburst situated at the heart of this giant Lyα cloud.

High-speed Keck II andRXTEspectroscopy of Cygnus X-2 - I. Three X-ray components revealed by correlated variability

We have performed simultaneous X-ray and optical spectroscopic observations of the Low Mass X-ray Binary Cygnus X-2. We have used a new data system attached to the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph instrument on Keck II to obtain spectra with a mean time resolution of 72.075 milliseconds, simultaneous with pointed X-ray observations using the PCA onboard XTE. In this paper, we have analysed the variability in both wavebands on timescales of 16 seconds. During our observations Cygnus X-2 covered all three branches of the Z-curve, allowing us to study how the changes in X-ray spectral state affect the optical emission. As the optical flux rises the X-ray intensity first rises on the Horizontal Branch (0<S_z<1) but then falls on the Normal Branch (1<S_z<2) and Flaring Branch (2<S_z<3), where S_z is a rank number characterising the position on the Z-curve. This linear increase in the optical flux with S_z indicates the optical flux is a good predictor of the accretion rate (possibly normalized by its own long-term average) inferred from the Z-state S_z. We have used this correlation to decompose the total X-ray count-rate into three distinct spectral components.

The Peculiar Pulsations of PY Vulpeculae

The pulsating white dwarf star PY Vul (G185-32) exhibits pulsation modes with peculiar properties that set it apart from other variable stars in the ZZ Ceti (variable DA white dwarf [DAV]) class. These peculiarities include a low total pulsation amplitude, a mode with bizarre amplitudes in the ultraviolet, and a mode harmonic that exceeds the amplitude of its fundamental. Here we present optical time-series spectroscopy of PY Vul acquired with the Keck II Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph. Our analysis has revealed that the mode with unusual UV amplitudes also has distinguishing characteristics in the optical. Comparison of its line profile variations to models suggests that this mode has a spherical degree of 4. We show that all the other peculiarities in this star are accounted for by a dominant pulsation mode of l = 4 and propose this hypothesis as a solution to the mysteries of PY Vul.

Keck spectroscopy of Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey gravitational lenses

We present the optical spectra of four newly discovered gravitational lenses from the Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey (CLASS). These observations were carried out using the Low-Resolution Imaging Spectrograph on the W. M. Keck-I Telescope as part of a programme to study galaxy-scale gravitational lenses. From our spectra, we found the redshift of the background source in CLASS B0128+437 (z s = 3.1240 ± 0.0042) and the lensing galaxy redshifts in CLASS B0445+123 (z 1 = 0.5583 ± 0.0003) and CLASS B0850+054 (z 1 = 0.5883 ± 0.0006). Intriguingly, we also discovered that CLASS B0631+519 may have two lensing galaxies (z 1,1 = 0.0896 ± 0.0001, z 1,2 = 0.6196 ± 0.0004). We also found a single unidentified emission line from the lensing galaxy in CLASS B0128+437 and the lensed source in CLASS B0850+054. We find the lensing galaxies in CLASS B0445+123 and CLASS B0631+519 (1, 2) to be early-type galaxies with Einstein radii of 2.8-3.0 h -1 kpc. The deflector in CLASS B0850+054 is a late-type galaxy with an Einstein radius of 1.6 h -1 kpc.

The DEEP Groth Strip Survey. IX. Evolution of the Fundamental Plane of Field Galaxies

Fundamental plane studies provide an excellent means of understanding the evolutionary history of early-type galaxies. Using the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph on the Keck Telescope, we obtained internal stellar kinematic information for 36 field galaxies in the Groth Strip, 21 early-type and 15 disk galaxies. Their redshifts range from 0.3 to 1.0, with a median redshift of 0.8. The slope of the relation shows no difference compared with the local slope. However, there is significant evolution in the zero-point offset; an offset due to evolution in magnitude requires a 2.4 mag luminosity brightening at z = 1. We see little differences of the offset with bulge fraction, which is a good surrogate for galaxy type. Correcting for the luminosity evolution reduces the orthogonal scatter in the fundamental plane to 8%, consistent with the local scatter. This scatter is measured for our sample and does not include results from other studies, which may have different selection effects. The difference in the degree of evolution between our field sample and published cluster galaxies suggests a more recent formation epoch, around z = 1.5 for field galaxies compared to z > 2.0 for cluster galaxies. The magnitude difference implies that the field early-type galaxies are about 2 Gyr younger than the cluster ellipticals using standard single-burst models. However, the same models imply a significant change in the rest-frame U-B color from then to the present, which is not seen in our sample. Continuous low-level star formation, however, would serve to explain the constant colors over this large magnitude change. A consistent model has 7% of the stellar mass created after the initial burst, using an exponentially decaying star formation rate with an e-folding time of 5 Gyr.

QSOs Associated with M82

The starburst/AGN galaxy M82 was studied by Dahlem, Weaver, and Heckman using X-ray data from ROSAT and ASCA as part of their X-ray survey of edge-on starburst galaxies. They found 17 unresolved hard X-ray sources around M82, in addition to its strong nuclear source, and other X-rays within the main body of M82. We have measured optical point sources at these positions and have obtained redshifts of six candidates at the Keck I 10 m telescope, using the low-resolution imaging spectrograph (LRIS). All six are highly compact optical and X-ray objects with redshifts ranging from 0.111 to 1.086. They all show emission lines. The three with the highest redshifts are clearly QSOs. The others with lower redshifts may be either QSOs or compact emission-line galaxies. In addition to these six, there are nine QSOs lying very close to M82 which were discovered many years ago. There is no difference between optical spectra of these latter QSOs, only two of which are known to be X-ray sources, and the X-ray-emitting QSOs. The redshifts of all 15 range between 0.111 and 2.05. The large number of QSOs and their apparent association with ejected matter from M82 suggest that they are physically associated with the galaxy and have large intrinsic redshift components. If this is correct, the absolute magnitudes lie in the range -8 < Mv < -10. Also, we speculate that the luminous variable X-ray source which has been detected by Chandra in the main body of M82 some 9'' from the center is another QSO in the process of ejection from the nucleus, and we propose some observational tests of this hypothesis.

Keck Spectroscopy of Four Quasi-stellar Object Host Galaxies

We present optical spectroscopy of the host galaxies of four quasi-stellar objects (QSOs)—PG 1444+407, PKS 2349-147, 3C 323.1, and 4C 31.63—having a redshift range 0.1 ≤ z ≤ 0.3. The spectra were obtained at the Keck Observatory with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph instrument offset 2''-4'' from the nucleus at several position angles in each galaxy. The objects close to 3C 323.1 and PKS 2349-147 have the same redshifts as their nearby QSOs and appear to be the nuclei of galaxies in the final states of merging with the host galaxies. The spectra of the hosts show some variety: PKS 2349-147 and 3C 323.1 show strong off-nuclear emission lines plus stellar absorption features, while the other two show only stellar absorption. PKS 2349-147 and PG 1444+407 have a mixture of old and moderately young stars, while 4C 31.63 has the spectrum of a normal giant elliptical galaxy, which is very rare in our larger sample. The spectrum of the host of 3C 323.1 appears to be dominated by older stars, although our data for it are of lower quality. The redshifts of the off-nucleus emission lines and stellar components are very close to those of the associated QSOs.

Metallicity and Kinematics of M31’s Outer Stellar Halo from a Keck Spectroscopic Survey

We present first results from a spectroscopic survey designed to examine the metallicity and kinematics of individual red giant branch stars in the outer halo of the Andromeda spiral galaxy (M31). This study is based on multislit spectroscopy with the Keck II 10 m telescope and Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph of the Ca II near-infrared triplet in 99 M31 halo candidates in a field at R = 19 kpc on the southeast minor axis with brightnesses from 20 < I < 22. The spectra are used to isolate M31 halo red giants from foreground Milky Way dwarf stars, faint compact background galaxies, and M31 disk giants. The observed distribution of radial velocities is well fitted by an equal mix of foreground Milky Way dwarf stars, drawn from a standard Galactic model and with velocities v 0 km s-1, and M31 halo giants represented by a Gaussian of width σ ~ 150 km s-1 centered on its systemic velocity of v ≈ -300 km s-1. A secure sample of 29 M31 red giant stars is identified on the basis of radial velocity (v < -220 km s-1) and, in the case of four intermediate-velocity stars (-160 < v < -220 km s-1), broadband B-I color. For this sample of objects, there is rough agreement between the metallicities derived in independent ways: two different calibrations of the Ca II absorption-line strength and a photometric estimate based on fitting model stellar isochrones to an object's location in a (B-I, I) color-magnitude diagram. The [Fe/H] distribution of M31 halo giants has an rms spread of at least 0.6 dex and spans the 2 dex range over which the abundance measurement methods are calibrated. The mean/median metallicity of the M31 halo is about [Fe/H] = -1.9 to -1.1 dex (depending on the details of metallicity calibration and sample selection) and possibly higher: the high-metallicity end of the distribution is poorly constrained by our data since the selection function for the secure M31 sample excludes over 80% of the giants in solar/supersolar metallicity range. Possible reasons are explored for the apparent discrepancy between the mean [Fe/H] found in our spectroscopic survey (corrected for metallicity selection bias) and the slightly higher mean values found in earlier photometric studies. Field halo red giants in M31 appear to be somewhat more metal-rich on average than their Milky Way counterparts. The M31 halo [Fe/H] distribution is comparable to that of M31 globular clusters, Galactic globular clusters, and Local Group dwarf satellite galaxies. The data in this 19 kpc outer halo field are broadly consistent with a scenario in which the halo is built from the accretion of small stellar subsystems. There are four stars in the secure M31 sample that have particularly strong Ca II lines, indicating solar metallicity, at a common velocity of ≈-340 km s-1 close to the galaxy's systemic velocity, similar to what might be expected for M31 disk giants on the minor axis. An extrapolation of the inner disk brightness profile, however, falls far short of accounting for these four stars—the disk would instead have to be very large (Rdisk 80 kpc) and/or warped. More likely, these four stars represent a metal-rich debris trail from a past accretion event in the halo.

Spectroscopy of Globular Clusters in M81

We present moderate-resolution spectroscopy of globular clusters (GCs) around the Sa/Sb spiral galaxy M81 (NGC 3031). Sixteen candidate clusters were observed with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph on the Keck I telescope. All are confirmed as bona fide GCs, although one of the clusters appears to have been undergoing a transient event during our observations. In general, the M81 globular cluster system (GCS) is found to be very similar to the Milky Way (MW) and M31 systems, both chemically and kinematically. A kinematic analysis of the velocities of 44 M81 GCS, (the 16 presented here and 28 from previous work) strongly suggests that the red, metal-rich clusters are rotating in the same sense as the gas in the disk of M81. The blue, metal-poor clusters have halo-like kinematics, showing no evidence for rotation. The kinematics of clusters whose projected galactocentric radii lie between 4 and 8 kpc suggest that they are rotating much more than those which lie outside these bounds. We suggest that these rotating, intermediate-distance clusters are analogous to the kinematic sub-population in the metal-rich, disk GCs observed in the MW and we present evidence for the existence of a similar sub-population in the metal-rich clusters of M31. With one exception, all of the M81 clusters in our sample have ages that are consistent with MW and M31 GCs. One cluster may be as young as a few Gyrs. The correlations between absorption-line indices established for MW and M31 GCs also hold in the M81 cluster system, at least at the upper end of the metallicity distribution (which our sample probes). On the whole, the mean metallicity of the M81 GCS is similar to the metallicity of the MW and M31 GCSs. The projected mass of M81 is similar to the masses of the MW and M31. Its mass profile indicates the presence of a dark matter halo.