WISE W1 Research Articles

On the Properties of the Galactic Dust Layer within 700 pc of the Sun

We compare the spatial stellar color variations with our 3D model of the spatial dust distribution to refine the properties of the dust layer in Galactic solar neighborhoods. We use a complete sample of 93992 clump giants with an admixture of branch giants from the Gaia DR2 catalogue in a spatial cylinder with a radius of 700 pc around the Sun extending to |Z|=1800 pc. Accurate data of these stars in the Gaia DR2 GRP and WISE W3 bands have allowed the spatial GRP-W3 color variations to be used to calculate the model parameters and two characteristics of the sample, the mode of the dereddened color (GRP-W3)0 of the giant clump and the linear change of this mode with coordinate |Z|. As a result, an improved version of the three-dimensional model first proposed by Gontcharov (2009b) has been obtained. As in the previous version, the model suggests two dust layers, along the Galactic equator and in the Gould Belt, that intersect near the Sun at an angle of 18\pm2 degs. In contrast to the previous version of the model with a midplane of the Gould Belt dust layer in the form of a circle with the center at the Sun, in the new version this midplane is an ellipse decentered relative to the Sun. A scale height of 170\pm40 pc has been found for both dust layers. The modes of the absolute magnitude MW3=-1.70\pm0.02 and the dereddened color (GRP-W3)0=(1.43\pm0.01)-(0.020\pm0.007)|Z|, where Z is expressed in kpc, have been calculated for the giant clump near the Sun. The dispersions of the quantities under consideration have allowed the natural small-scale density fluctuations of the dust medium relative to the mean reddening calculated from the model to be characterized. These fluctuations make a major contribution to the uncertainty in the reddening.

Comprehensive comparison of models for spectral energy distributions from 0.1μm to 1 mm of nearby star-forming galaxies

We have fit the far-ultraviolet (FUV) to sub-millimeter (850μm) spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the 61 galaxies from the Key Insights on Nearby Galaxies: A Far-Infrared Survey withHerschel(KINGFISH). The fitting has been performed using three models: the Code for Investigating GALaxy Evolution (CIGALE), the GRAphite-SILicate approach (GRASIL), and the Multiwavelength Analysis of Galaxy PHYSical properties (MAGPHYS). We have analyzed the results of the three codes in terms of the SED shapes, and by comparing the derived quantities with simple “recipes” for stellar mass (Mstar), star-formation rate (SFR), dust mass (Mdust), and monochromatic luminosities. Although the algorithms rely on different assumptions for star-formation history, dust attenuation and dust reprocessing, they all well approximate the observed SEDs and are in generally good agreement for the associated quantities. However, the three codes show very different behavior in the mid-infrared regime: in the 5–10μm region dominated by PAH emission, and also between 25 and 70μm where there are no observational constraints for the KINGFISH sample. We find that different algorithms give discordant SFR estimates for galaxies with low specific SFR, and that the standard recipes for calculating FUV absorption overestimate the extinction compared to the SED-fitting results. Results also suggest that assuming a “standard” constant stellar mass-to-light ratio overestimatesMstarrelative to the SED fitting, and we provide new SED-based formulations for estimatingMstarfrom WISE W1 (3.4μm) luminosities and colors. From a principal component analysis ofMstar, SFR,Mdust, and O/H, we reproduce previous scaling relations amongMstar, SFR, and O/H, and find thatMdustcan be predicted to within ∼0.3 dex using onlyMstarand SFR.

GHASP: an H α kinematics survey of spiral galaxies – XII. Distribution of luminous and dark matter in spiral and irregular nearby galaxies using Rc-band photometry

Mass models of 100 nearby spiral and irregular galaxies, covering morphological types from Sa to Irr, are computed using H$\alpha$ rotation curves and R$_c$-band surface brightness profiles. The kinematics was obtained using a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer. One of the aims is to compare our results with those from Korsaga et al. (2018), which used mid-infrared (MIR) WISE W1 (3.4 $\mu$m) photometric data. For the analysis, the same tools were used for both bands. Pseudo-Isothermal (ISO) core and Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) cuspy models have been used. We test Best Fit Models (BFM), Maximum Disc Models (MDM) and models for which M/L is fixed using the B - V colors. Similarly to what was found in the MIR 3.4 $\mu$m band, most of the observed rotation curves are better described by a central core density profile (ISO) than a cuspy one (NFW) when using the optical R$_c$-band. In both bands, the dispersion in the (M/L) values is smaller for the fixed M/L fits. As for the W1 photometry, the derived DM halos' parameters depend on the morphological types. We find similar relations than those in the literature, only when we compare our results for the bulge-poor sub-sample because most of previous results were mainly based on late-type spirals. Because the dispersion in the model parameters is smaller and because stellar masses are better defined in that band, MIR photometry should be preferred, when possible, to the optical bands. It is shown that for high-z galaxies, sensible results can still be obtained without full profile decomposition.

Two more, bright, z > 6 quasars from VST ATLAS and WISE

Recently, Carnall et al. discovered two bright high redshift quasars using the combination of the VST ATLAS and WISE surveys. The technique involved using the 3-D colour plane i-z:z-W1:W1-W2 with the WISE W1 (3.4 micron) and W2 (4.5 micron) bands taking the place of the usual NIR J band to help decrease stellar dwarf contamination. Here we report on our continued search for 5.7<z<6.4 quasars over an ~2x larger area of ~3577 sq. deg. of the Southern Hemisphere. We have found two further z>6 quasars, VST-ATLAS J158.6938-14.4211 at z=6.07 and J332.8017-32.1036 at z=6.32 with magnitudes of z_AB=19.4 and 19.7 mag respectively. J158.6938-14.4211 was confirmed by Keck LRIS observations and J332.8017-32.1036 was confirmed by ESO NTT EFOSC-2 observations. Here we present VLT X-shooter Visible and NIR spectra for the four ATLAS quasars. We have further independently rediscovered two z>5.7 quasars previously found by the VIKING/KiDS and PanSTARRS surveys. This means that in ATLAS we have now discovered a total of six quasars in our target 5.7<z<6.4 redshift range. Making approximate corrections for incompleteness, we find that our quasar space density agrees with the SDSS results of Jiang et al. at M_1450A~-27mag. Preliminary virial mass estimates based on the CIV and MIII emission lines give black hole masses in the range M_BH~1-6x10e9 M_solar for the four ATLAS quasars.

The WISE AGN Catalog

We present two large catalogs of AGN candidates identified across ~75% of the sky from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer's AllWISE Data Release. Both catalogs, some of the largest such catalogs published to date, are selected purely on the basis of mid-IR photometry in the WISE W1 and W2 bands. The catalogs are designed to be appropriate for a broad range of scientific investigations, with one catalog emphasizing reliability while the other emphasizes completeness. Specifically, the R90 catalog consists of 4,543,530 AGN candidates with 90% reliability, while the C75 catalog consists of 20,907,127 AGN candidates with 75% completeness. We provide a detailed discussion of potential artifacts, and excise portions of the sky close to the Galactic Center, Galactic Plane, nearby galaxies, and other expected contaminating sources. Our final catalogs cover 30,093 deg^2 of extragalactic sky. These catalogs are expected to enable a broad range of science, and we present a few simple illustrative cases. From the R90 sample we identify 45 highly variable AGN lacking radio counterparts in the FIRST survey, implying they are unlikely to be blazars. One of these sources, WISEA J142846.71+172353.1, is a mid-IR-identified changing-look quasar at z=0.104. We characterize our catalogs by comparing them to large, wide-area AGN catalogs in the literature, specifically UV-to-near-IR quasar selections from SDSS and XDQSOz, mid-IR selection from Secrest et al. (2015) and X-ray selection from ROSAT. From the latter work, we identify four ROSAT X-ray sources that each are matched to three WISE-selected AGN in the R90 sample within 30". Palomar spectroscopy reveals one of these systems, 2RXS J150158.6+691029, to consist of a triplet of quasars at z=1.133 +/- 0.004, suggestive of a rich group or forming galaxy cluster.(Abridged)

Quasar Photometric Redshifts and Candidate Selection: A New Algorithm Based on Optical and Mid-infrared Photometric Data

Abstract We present a new algorithm to estimate quasar photometric redshifts (photo-zs), by considering the asymmetries in the relative flux distributions of quasars. The relative flux models are built with multivariate Skew-t distributions in the multidimensional space of relative fluxes as a function of redshift and magnitude. For 151,392 quasars in the SDSS, we achieve a photo-z accuracy, defined as the fraction of quasars with the difference between the photo-z z p and the spectroscopic redshift z s , within 0.1, of 74%. Combining the WISE W1 and W2 infrared data with the SDSS data, the photo-z accuracy is enhanced to 87%. Using the Pan-STARRS1 or DECaLS photometry with WISE W1 and W2 data, the photo-z accuracies are 79% and 72%, respectively. The prior probabilities as a function of magnitude for quasars, stars, and galaxies are calculated, respectively, based on (1) the quasar luminosity function, (2) the Milky Way synthetic simulation with the Besançon model, and (3) the Bayesian Galaxy Photometric Redshift estimation. The relative fluxes of stars are obtained with the Padova isochrones, and the relative fluxes of galaxies are modeled through galaxy templates. We test our classification method to select quasars using the DECaLS g, r, z, and WISE W1 and W2 photometry. The quasar selection completeness is higher than 70% for a wide redshift range , and a wide magnitude range mag. Our photo-z regression and classification method has the potential to extend to future surveys. The photo-z code will be publicly available.

Population mixtures and searches of lensed and extended quasars across photometric surveys

Wide-field photometric surveys enable searches of rare yet interesting objects, such as strongly lensed quasars or quasars with a bright host galaxy. Past searches for lensed quasars based on their optical and near infrared properties have relied on photometric cuts and spectroscopic pre-selection (as in the Sloan Quasar Lens Search), or neural networks applied to photometric samples. These methods rely on cuts in morphology and colours, with the risk of losing many interesting objects due to scatter in their population properties, restrictive training sets, systematic uncertainties in catalog-based magnitudes, and survey-to-survey photometric variations. Here, we explore the performance of a Gaussian Mixture Model to separate point-like quasars, quasars with an extended host, and strongly lensed quasars using griz psf and model magnitudes and WISE W1, W2. The choice of optical magnitudes is due to their presence in all current and upcoming releases of wide-field surveys, whereas UV information is not always available. We then assess the contamination from blue galaxies and the role of additional features such as W3 magnitudes or psf-model terms as morphological information. As a demonstration, we conduct a search in a random 10% of the SDSS footprint, and we provide the catalog of the 43 SDSS object with the highest `lens' score in our selection that survive visual inspection, and are spectroscopically confirmed to host active nuclei. We inspect archival data and find images of 5/43 objects in the Hubble Legacy Archive, including 2 known lenses. The code and materials are available to facilitate follow-up.

BEING WISE II: REDUCING THE INFLUENCE OF STAR FORMATION HISTORY ON THE MASS-TO-LIGHT RATIO OF QUIESCENT GALAXIES

ABSTRACT Stellar population synthesis models can now reproduce the photometry of old stellar systems (age 2 Gyr) in the near-infrared (NIR) bands at 3.4 and 4.6 μm (WISE W1 and W2 or IRAC 1 and 2). In this paper, we derive stellar mass-to-light ratios for these and optical bands, and confirm that the NIR M/L shows dramatically reduced sensitivity to both age and metallicity compared to optical bands, and further, that this behavior leads to significantly more robust stellar masses for quiescent galaxies with [Fe/H] −0.5 regardless of star-formation history (SFH). We then use realistic early-type galaxy SFHs and metallicity distributions from the EAGLE simulations of galaxy formation to investigate two methods to determine the appropriate M/L for a galaxy. (1) We show that the uncertainties introduced by an unknown SFH can be largely removed using a spectroscopically inferred luminosity-weighted age and metallicity for the population to select the appropriate single stellar population (SSP) equivalent M/L. Using this method, the maximum systematic error due to SFH on the M/L of an early-type galaxy is at 3.4 μm and typical uncertainties due to errors in the age and metallicity create a scatter of . The equivalent values for optical bands are more than two to three times greater, even before considering uncertainties associated with internal dust extinction. (2) We demonstrate that if the EAGLE SFHs and metallicities accurately reproduce the true properties of early-type galaxies, the use of an iterative approach to select a mass dependent M/L can provide even more accurate stellar masses for early-type galaxies, with typical uncertainties of .

Circumstellar dust, PAHs and stellar populations in early-type galaxies: insights fromGALEXandWISE

A majority of early-type galaxies contain interstellar dust, yet the origin of this dust, and why the dust sometimes exhibits unusual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) ratios, remains a mystery. If the dust is internally produced, it likely originates from the large number of AGB stars associated with the old stellar population. We present GALEX and WISE elliptical aperture photometry of $\sim310$ early-type galaxies with Spitzer mid-infrared spectroscopy and/or ancillary data from ATLAS3D, to characterize their circumstellar dust and the shape of the radiation field that illuminates the interstellar PAHs. We find that circumstellar dust is ubiquitous in early-type galaxies, which indicates some tension between stellar population age estimates and models for circumstellar dust production in very old stellar populations. We also use dynamical masses from ATLAS3D to show that WISE W1 (3.4 $\mu$m) mass-to-light ratios are consistent with the initial mass function variation found by previous work. While the stellar population differences in early-type galaxies correspond to a range of radiation field shapes incident upon the diffuse dust, the ratio of the ionization-sensitive $7.7\mu$m to $11.3\mu$m PAH feature does not correlate with the shape of the radiation field, nor to variations with the size-sensitive $11.3\mu$m to $17\mu$m ratio. The $7.7\mu$m to $11.3\mu$m PAH ratio does tend to be smaller in galaxies with proportionally greater $H_2$ emission, which is evidence that processing of primarily smaller grains by shocks is responsible for the unusual ratios, rather than substantial differences in the overall PAH size or ionization distribution.

SEARCHING FOR NEW YELLOW SYMBIOTIC STARS: POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF StHα63*

ABSTRACT Yellow symbiotic stars are useful targets for probing whether mass transfer has happened in their binary systems. However, the number of known yellow symbiotic stars is very scarce. We report spectroscopic observations of five candidate yellow symbiotic stars that were selected by their positions in the 2MASS (J − H) versus (H − K s ) diagram and which were included in some emission-line catalogs. Among the five candidates, only StHα63 is identified as a new yellow symbiotic star because of its spectrum and its position in the [TiO]1–[TiO]2 diagram, which indicates a K4–K6 spectral type. In addition, the derived electron density (∼108.4 cm−3) and several emission-line intensity ratios provide further support for that classification. The other four candidates are rejected as symbiotic stars because three of them actually do not show emission lines and the fourth one only Balmer emission lines. We also found that the WISE W3–W4 index clearly separates normal K-giants from yellow symbiotic stars and therefore can be used as an additional tool for selecting candidate yellow symbiotic stars.

Search for systemic mass loss in Algols with bow shocks

Aims. Various studies indicate that interacting binary stars of Algol type evolve non-conservatively. However, direct detections of systemic mass loss in Algols have been scarce so far. We study the systemic mass loss in Algols by looking for the presence of infrared excesses originating from the thermal emission of dust grains, which is linked to the presence of a stellar wind. Methods. In contrast to previous studies, we make use of the fact that stellar and interstellar material is piled up at the edge of the astrosphere where the stellar wind interacts with the interstellar medium. We analyse WISE W3 $12\,\mu$m and WISE W4 $22\,\mu$m data of Algol-type binary Be and B[e] stars and the properties of their bow shocks. From the stand-off distance of the bow shock we are able to determine the mass-loss rate of the binary system. Results. Although the velocities of the stars with respect to the interstellar medium are quite low, we find bow shocks present in two systems, namely $\pi$ Aqr, and $\varphi$ Per; a third system, CX Dra, shows a more irregular circumstellar environment morphology which might somehow be related to systemic mass loss. The properties of the two bow shocks point to mass-loss rates and wind velocities typical of single B stars, which do not support an enhanced systemic mass loss.

Single stars in the Hyades open cluster

Age and mass determinations for isolated stellar objects remain model-dependent. While stellar interior and atmospheric theoretical models are rapidly evolving, we need a powerful tool to test them. Open clusters are good candidates for this role. We complement previous studies on the Hyades multiplicity by Lucky Imaging observations with the AstraLux Norte camera. This allows us to exclude possible binary and multiple systems with companions outside 2--7 AU separation and to create a "single-star sequence" for the Hyades. The sequence encompasses 250 main-sequence stars ranging from A5V to M6V. Using the "Tool for Astrophysical Data Analysis" (TA-DA), we create various theoretical isochrones applying different combinations of interior and atmospheric models. We compare the isochrones with the observed Hyades single-star sequence on J vs. J - K_s, J vs. J - H and K_s vs. H - K_s color-magnitude diagrams. As a reference we also compute absolute fluxes and magnitudes for all stars from X-ray to mid-infrared based on photometric measurements available in the literature(ROSAT X-ray, GALEX UV, APASS gri, 2MASS JHK_s, and WISE W1 to W).We find that combinations of both PISA and DARTMOUTH stellar interior models with BT-Settl 2010 atmospheric models describe the observed sequence well. The full sequence covers the mass range 0.13 to 2.3 Msun, and effective temperatures between 3060 K and 8200 K. Within the measurement uncertainties, the current generation of models agree well with the single-star sequence. The primary limitations are the uncertainties in the measurement of the distance to individual Hyades members, and uncertainties in the photometry. Additionally, a small (~0.05 mag) systematic offset can be noted on J vs. J - K and K vs. H - K diagrams - the observed sequence is shifted to redder colors from the theoretical predictions.

Photometric classification of quasars from RCS-2 using Random Forest

Aims. Construction of a new quasar candidate catalog from the Red-Sequence Cluster Survey 2 (RCS-2), identified solely from photometric information using an automated algorithm suitable for large surveys. The algorithm performance is tested using a well-defined SDSS spectroscopic sample of quasars and stars. Methods. The Random Forest algorithm constructs the catalog from RCS-2 point sources using SDSS spectroscopically-confirmed stars and quasars. The algorithm identifies putative quasars from broadband magnitudes (g, r, i, z) and colours. Exploiting NUV GALEX measurements for a subset of the objects, we refine the classifier by adding new information. An additional subset of the data with WISE W1 and W2 bands is also studied. Results. Upon analyzing 542,897 RCS-2 point sources, the algorithm identified 21,501 quasar candidates, with a training-set-derived precision (the fraction of true positives within the group assigned quasar status) of 89.5% and recall (the fraction of true positives relative to all sources that actually are quasars) of 88.4%. These performance metrics improve for the GALEX subset; 6,530 quasar candidates are identified from 16,898 sources, with a precision and recall respectively of 97.0% and 97.5%. Algorithm performance is further improved when WISE data are included, with precision and recall increasing to 99.3% and 99.1% respectively for 21,834 quasar candidates from 242,902 sources. We compile our final catalog (38,257) by merging these samples and removing duplicates. An observational follow up of 17 bright (r < 19) candidates with long-slit spectroscopy at DuPont telescope (LCO) yields 14 confirmed quasars. Conclusions. The results signal encouraging progress in the classification of point sources with Random Forest algorithms to search for quasars within current and future large-area photometric surveys.

THE INFLUENCE OF GALAXY SURFACE BRIGHTNESS ON THE MASS–METALLICITY RELATION

We study the effect of surface brightness on the mass-metallicity relation using nearby galaxies whose gas content and metallicity profiles are available. Previous studies using fiber spectra indicated that lower surface brightness galaxies have systematically lower metallicity for their stellar mass, but the results were uncertain because of aperture effect. With stellar masses and surface brightnesses measured at WISE W1 and W2 bands, we re-investigate the surface brightness dependence with spatially-resolved metallicity profiles and find the similar result. We further demonstrate that the systematical difference cannot be explained by the gas content of galaxies. For two galaxies with similar stellar and gas masses, the one with lower surface brightness tends to have lower metallicity. Using chemical evolution models, we investigate the inflow and outflow properties of galaxies of different masses and surface brightnesses. We find that, on average, high mass galaxies have lower inflow and outflow rates relative to star formation rate. On the other hand, lower surface brightness galaxies experience stronger inflow than higher surface brightness galaxies of similar mass. The surface brightness effect is more significant for low mass galaxies. We discuss implications on the different inflow properties between low and high surface brightness galaxies, including star formation efficiency, environment and mass assembly history.

Near-infrared spectroscopy of M dwarfs. I. CO molecule as an abundance indicator of carbon

Abstract Based on the near-infrared spectra of 42 M dwarfs, carbon abundances are determined from the ro-vibrational lines of the CO (2–0) band. We apply Teff values based on the angular diameters if available or use the Teff values in a log Teff–M3.4 relation (M3.4 is the absolute magnitude at 3.4 μm based on the WISE W1 flux and the Hipparcos parallax) to estimate Teff values of objects for which angular diameters are unknown. Also, we discuss briefly the HR diagram of low-mass stars. On the observed spectrum of the M dwarf, the continuum is depressed by the numerous weak lines of H2O and only the depressed continuum or the pseudo-continuum can be seen. On the theoretical spectrum of the M dwarf, the true continuum can be evaluated easily but the pseudo-continuum can also be evaluated accurately thanks to the recent H2O line database. Then spectroscopic analysis of the M dwarf can be done by referring to the pseudo-continuum both on the observed and theoretical spectra. Since the basic principle of the spectroscopic analysis should be the same whether the true- or pseudo-continuum is referred to, the difficulty related to the continuum in cool stars can in principle be overcome. Then, the numerous CO lines can be excellent abundance indicators of carbon, since almost all the carbon atoms are in stable CO molecules which suffer little effect of the uncertainties in photospheric structure, and carbon abundances in late-type stars can best be determined in M dwarfs rather than in solar type stars. The resulting C/Fe ratios for most M dwarfs are nearly constant at about the solar value based on the classical high carbon abundance rather than on the recently revised lower value. This result implies that the solar carbon abundance is atypical for its metallicity among the stellar objects in the solar neighborhood if the downward revised carbon abundance is correct.

A Search for Mass Loss from Metal-Poor Field Red Giants using Data from the WISE and AKARI Satellites

All-sky photometry from the WISE and AKARI satellite observatories has been used to obtain mid-infrared photometry in the 4–20 μm range for a sample of almost 400 red giants with metallicities of [Fe/H] ≤ -0.6. The mid-infrared photometry has been combined with J and K S 2MASS photometry to produce a series of two-color diagrams from which stars having circumstellar dust can be identified, namely (K S - W3, K S - W4) and (W1 - W3, W1 - W4) derived from WISE data and an analogous (K S - S9W, K S - L18W) diagram based on AKARI photometry. All three diagrams exhibit sequences of giants that are candidates for having circumstellar dust. Of the 8 metal-poor giants with the greatest mid-infrared excesses all but one are known to be in advanced stages of evolution, and are typically pulsating variables. Among giants with more modest evidence of emission in the WISE W3 bandpass, i.e., stars with 0.2 < (K S - W3) < 0.5 or (W1 - W3) > 0.10, there are also a number of known variables, but the SIMBAD data base does not list all such stars as variables. Photometric monitoring of this sample of mild-infrared-excess giants could help elucidate the potential connection between dust formation and stellar pulsation.

A SENSITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF WARM DEBRIS DISKS IN THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH PRECISE CALIBRATION OF SATURATED WISE PHOTOMETRY

We present a sensitive search for WISE W3 (12um) and W4 (22um) excesses from warm optically thin dust around Hipparcos main sequence stars within 75pc from the Sun. We use contemporaneously measured photometry from WISE, remove sources of contamination, and derive and apply corrections to saturated fluxes to attain optimal sensitivity to >10um excesses. We use data from the WISE All-Sky Survey Catalog rather than the AllWISE release, because we find that its saturated photometry is better behaved, allowing us to detect small excesses even around saturated stars in WISE. Our new discoveries increase by 45% the number of stars with warm dusty excesses and expand the number of known debris disks (with excess at any wavelength) within 75pc by 29%. We identify 220 Hipparcos debris disk-host stars, 108 of which are new detections at any wavelength. We present the first measurement of a 12um and/or 22um excess for 10 stars with previously known cold (50-100 K) disks. We also find five new stars with small but significant W3 excesses, adding to the small population of known exozodi, and we detect evidence for a W2 excess around HIP96562 (F2V), indicative of tenuous hot (780 K) dust. As a result of our WISE study, the number of debris disks with known 10-30um excesses within 75pc (379) has now surpassed the number of disks with known >30um excesses (289, with 171 in common), even if the latter have been found to have a higher occurrence rate in unbiased samples.

CHARACTERIZING WOLF-RAYET STARS IN THE NEAR- AND MID-INFRARED

We present refined color-color selection criteria for identifying Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars using available mid infrared (MIR) photometry from WISE in combination with near infrared (NIR) photometry from 2MASS. Using a sample of spectrally classified objects, we find that WR stars are well distinguished from the field stellar population in the (W1-W2) vs. (J-Ks) color-color diagram, and further distinguished from other emission line objects such as Planetary Nebulae, Be, and Cataclysmic variable stars using a combination of NIR and MIR color constraints. As proof of concept we applied the color constraints to a photometric sample in the Galactic plane, located WR star candidates, and present five new spectrally confirmed and classified WC (1) and WN (4) stars. Analysis of the 0.8-5.0 micron spectral data for a subset of known, bright WC and WN stars shows that emission lines (primarily He I) extend into the 3.0 - 5.0 micron spectral region, although their strength is greatly diminished compared to the 0.8-2.5 micron region. The WR population stands out relative to background field stars at NIR and MIR colors due to an excess continuum contribution, likely caused by free-free scattering in dense winds. Mean photometric properties of known WRs are presented and imply that reddened late-type WN and WC sources are easier to detect than earlier-type sources at larger Galactic radii. WISE W3 and W4 images of 10 Wolf Rayet stars show evidence of circumstellar shells linked to mass ejections from strong stellar winds.

Mid-infrared period–luminosity relations for globular cluster RR Lyrae

The period - metallicity - WISE W1- and W2-band luminosity relations are derived for RR Lyrae stars based on WISE epoch photometry for 360 and 275 stars in 15 and 9 Galactic globular clusters, respectively. Our final relations have the form <MW1> = gamma(W1) - (2.381 +/- 0.097) log PF + (0.096 +/- 0.021)[Fe/H] and <MW2> = gamma(W2)-(2.269 +/- 0.127)log PF + (0.108 +/- 0.021)[Fe/H], where [Fe/H] values are on the scale of Carretta et al. (2009). We obtained two appreciably discrepant estimates for the zero points gamma(W1) and gamma(W2) of both relations: one based on a statistical-parallax analysis -- gamma(W1) = -0.829 +/- 0.093 and gamma(W2)=-0.776 +/- 0.093 and another, significantly brighter one, based on HST FGS trigonometric parallaxes -- gamma(W1, HST) =-1.150 +/- 0.077 and gamma(W2, HST) =-1.105 +/- 0.077. The period-metallicity-luminosity relations in the two bands yield highly consistent distance moduli for the calibrator clusters and the distance moduli computed using the W1- and W2-band relations with the HST zero points agree well with those computed by \citet{sollima} based on their derived period-metallicity-K-band luminosity relation whose zero point is tied to the HST trigonometric parallax of RR Lyrae itself (Delta DM0 = +0.04 and +0.06, respectively, with a scatter of only 0.06).

NEAR-INFRARED IMAGING OF WHITE DWARFS WITH CANDIDATE DEBRIS DISKS

We have carried out $JHK_s$ imaging of 12 white dwarf debris disk candidates from the WIRED SDSS DR7 catalog, aiming to confirm or rule out disks among these sources. On the basis of positional identification and the flux density spectra, we find that seven white dwarfs have excess infrared emission, but mostly at WISE W1 and W2 bands, four are due to nearby red objects consistent with background galaxies or very low mass dwarfs, and one exhibits excess emission at $JHK_s$ consistent with an unresolved L0 companion at the correct distance. While our photometry is not inconsistent with all seven excesses arising from disks, the stellar properties are distinct from the known population of debris disk white dwarfs, making the possibility questionable. In order to further investigate the nature of these infrared sources, warm Spitzer imaging is needed, which may help resolve galaxies from the white dwarfs and provide more accurate flux measurements.