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A. D. Mackey

Publications and source records attributed to A. D. Mackey.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Multiple stellar populations in Magellanic Cloud clusters. VI. A survey of multiple sequences and Be stars in young clusters

The split main sequences (MSs) and extended MS turnoffs (eMSTOs) detected in a few young clusters have demonstrated that these stellar systems host multiple populations differing in a number of properties such as rotation and, possibly, age.We analyze Hubble Space Telescope photometry for thirteen clusters with ages between ~40 and ~1000 Myrs and of different masses. Our goal is to investigate for the first time the occurrence of multiple populations in a large sample of young clusters. We find that all the clusters exhibit the eMSTO phenomenon and that MS stars more massive than ~1.6 solar masses define a blue and red MS, with the latter hosting the majority of MS stars. The comparison between the observations and isochrones suggests that the blue MSs are made of slow-rotating stars, while the red MSs host stars with rotational velocities close to the breakup value. About half of the bright MS stars in the youngest clusters are H-alpha emitters. These Be stars populate the red MS and the reddest part of the eMSTO thus supporting the idea that the red MS is made of fast rotators. We conclude that the split MS and the eMSTO are a common feature of young clusters in both Magellanic Clouds. The phenomena of a split MS and an eMSTO occur for stars that are more massive than a specific threshold which is independent of the host-cluster mass. As a by-product, we report the serendipitous discovery of a young SMC cluster, GALFOR1.

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The Outer Envelopes of Globular Clusters. II. NGC 1851, NGC 5824 and NGC 1261

We present a second set of results from a wide-field photometric survey of the environs of Milky Way globular clusters. The clusters studied are NGC 1261, NGC 1851 and NGC 5824: all have data from DECam on the Blanco 4m telescope. NGC 5824 also has data from the Magellan Clay telescope with MegaCam. We confirm the existence of a large diffuse stellar envelope surrounding NGC 1851 of size at least 240 pc in radius. The radial density profile of the envelope follows a power-law decline with index $γ= -1.5 \pm 0.2$ and the projected shape is slightly elliptical. For NGC 5824 there is no strong detection of a diffuse stellar envelope, but we find the cluster is remarkably extended and is similar in size (at least 230 pc in radius) to the envelope of NGC 1851. A stellar envelope is also revealed around NGC 1261. However, it is notably smaller in size with radius $\sim$105 pc. The radial density profile of the envelope is also much steeper with $γ= -3.8 \pm 0.2$. We discuss the possible nature of the diffuse stellar envelopes, but are unable to draw definitive conclusions based on the current data. NGC 1851, and potentially NGC 5824, could be stripped dwarf galaxy nuclei, akin to the cases of $ω$ Cen, M54 and M2. On the other hand, the different characteristics of the NGC 1261 envelope suggest that it may be the product of dynamical evolution of the cluster.

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Structured star formation in the Magellanic inter-Cloud region

We use a new contiguous imaging survey conducted using the Dark Energy Camera to investigate the distribution and properties of young stellar populations in the Magellanic inter-Cloud region. These young stars are strongly spatially clustered, forming a narrow chain of low-mass associations that trace the densest HI gas in the Magellanic Bridge and extend, in projection, from the SMC to the outer disk of the LMC. The associations in our survey footprint have ages $\lesssim 30$ Myr, masses in the range $\sim 100-1200\,{\rm M}_\odot$, and very diffuse structures with half-light radii of up to $\sim 100$ pc. The two most populous are strongly elliptical, and aligned to $\approx 10^{\rm o}$ with the axis joining the centres of the LMC and SMC. These observations strongly suggest that the young inter-Cloud populations formed in situ, likely due to the compression of gas stripped during the most recent close LMC-SMC encounter. The associations lie at distances intermediate between the two Clouds, and we find no evidence for a substantial distance gradient across the imaged area. Finally, we identify a vast shell of young stars surrounding a central association, that is spatially coincident with a low column density bubble in the HI distribution. The properties of this structure are consistent with a scenario where stellar winds and supernova explosions from massive stars in the central cluster swept up the ambient gas into a shell, triggering a new burst of star formation. This is a prime location for studying stellar feedback in a relatively isolated environment.

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The elusive stellar halo of the Triangulum Galaxy

The stellar halos of large galaxies represent a vital probe of the processes of galaxy evolution. They are the remnants of the initial bouts of star formation during the collapse of the proto-galactic cloud, coupled with imprint of ancient and on-going accretion events. Previously, we have reported the tentative detection of a possible, faint, extended stellar halo in the Local Group spiral, the Triangulum Galaxy (M33). However, the presence of substructure surrounding M33 made interpretation of this feature difficult. Here, we employ the final data set from the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS), combined with an improved calibration and a newly derived contamination model for the region to revisit this claim. With an array of new fitting algorithms, fully accounting for contamination and the substantial substructure beyond the prominent stellar disk in M33, we reanalyse the surrounds to separate the signal of the stellar halo and the outer halo substructure. Using more robust search algorithms, we do not detect a large scale smooth stellar halo and place a limit on the maximum surface brightness of such a feature of $μ_V$ = 35.5 mags per square arcsec, or a total halo luminosity of $L < 10^6L_{\odot}$.

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Extended stellar substructure surrounding the Boötes I dwarf spheroidal galaxy

We present deep stellar photometry of the Boötes I dwarf spheroidal galaxy in g and i band filters, taken with the Dark Energy Camera at Cerro Tololo in Chile. Our analysis reveals a large, extended region of stellar substructure surrounding the dwarf, as well as a distinct over-density encroaching on its tidal radius. A radial profile of the Boötes I stellar distribution shows a break radius indicating the presence of extra-tidal stars. These observations strongly suggest that Boötes I is experiencing tidal disruption, although not as extreme as that exhibited by the Hercules dwarf spheroidal. Combined with revised velocity dispersion measurements from the literature, we see evidence suggesting the need to review previous theoretical models of the Boötes I dwarf spheroidal galaxy.

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The Outer Envelopes of Globular Clusters. I. NGC 7089 (M2)

We present the results of a wide-field imaging survey of the periphery of the Milky Way globular cluster NGC 7089 (M2). Data were obtained with MegaCam on the Magellan Clay Telescope, and the Dark Energy Camera on the Blanco Telescope. We find that M2 is embedded in a diffuse stellar envelope extending to a radial distance of at least $\sim 60^{\prime}$ ($\sim 210$ pc) -- five times the nominal tidal radius of the cluster. The envelope appears nearly circular in shape, has a radial density decline well described by a power law of index $γ= -2.2 \pm 0.2$, and contains approximately $1.6\%$ of the luminosity of the entire system. While the origin of the envelope cannot be robustly identified using the presently available data, the fact that M2 also hosts stellar populations exhibiting a broad dispersion in the abundances of both iron and a variety of neutron capture elements suggests that this object might plausibly constitute the stripped nucleus of a dwarf Galaxy that was long ago accreted and destroyed by the Milky Way.

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No evidence for younger stellar generations within the intermediate age massive clusters NGC 1783, NGC 1696 and NGC 411

Recently, Li et al. (2016) claimed to have found evidence for multiple generations of stars in the intermediate age clusters NGC 1783, NGC 1696 and NGC 411 in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC/SMC). Here we show that these young stellar populations are present in the field regions around these clusters and are not likely associated with the clusters themselves. Using the same datasets, we find that the background subtraction method adopted by the authors does not adequately remove contaminating stars in the small number Poisson limit. Hence, we conclude that their results do not provide evidence of young generations of stars within these clusters.

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Multiple stellar populations in Magellanic Cloud clusters. IV. The double main sequence of the young cluster NGC1755

Nearly all the star clusters with ages of ~1-2 Gyr in both Magellanic Clouds exhibit an extended main-sequence turn off (eMSTO) whose origin is under debate. The main scenarios suggest that the eMSTO could be either due to multiple generations of stars with different ages or to coeval stellar populations with different rotation rates. In this paper we use Hubble-Space-Telescope images to investigate the ~80-Myr old cluster NGC1755 in the LMC. We find that the MS is split with the blue and the red MS hosting about the 25% and the 75% of the total number of MS stars, respectively. Moreover, the MSTO of NGC1755 is broadened in close analogy with what is observed in the ~300-Myr-old NGC1856 and in most intermediate-age Magellanic-Cloud clusters. We demonstrate that both the split MS and the eMSTO are not due to photometric errors, field-stars contamination, differential reddening, or non-interacting binaries. These findings make NGC1755 the youngest cluster with an eMSTO. We compare the observed CMD with isochrones and conclude that observations are not consistent with stellar populations with difference in age, helium, or metallicity only. On the contrary, the split MS is well reproduced by two stellar populations with different rotation, although the fit between the observed eMSTO and models with different rotation is not fully satisfactory. We speculate whether all stars in NGC1755 were born rapidly rotating, and a fraction has slowed down on a rapid timescale, or the dichotomy in rotation rate was present already at star formation. We discuss the implication of these findings on the interpretation of eMSTO in young and intermediate-age clusters.

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Substructure and Tidal Streams in the Andromeda Galaxy and its Satellites

Tidal streams from existing and destroyed satellite galaxies populate the outer regions of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). This inhomogeneous debris can be studied without many of the obstacles that plague Milky Way research. We review the history of tidal stream research in M31, and in its main satellite galaxies. We highlight the numerous tidal streams observed around M31, some of which reside at projected distances of up to 120 kpc from the center of this galaxy. Most notable is the Giant Stellar Stream, a signature of the most recent significant accretion event in the M31 system. This event involved an early-type progenitor of ~10^9 solar masses that came within a few kpc of M31's center roughly a gigayear ago; almost all of the inner halo debris (within 50 kpc) in M31 can be tied either directly or indirectly to this event. We draw attention to the fact that most of M31's outer halo globular clusters lie preferentially on tidal streams and discuss the potential this offers to use these systems as probes of the accretion history. Tidal features observed around M33, M32, NGC 205 and NGC 147 are also reviewed. We conclude by discussing future prospects for this field.

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Major Substructure in the M31 Outer Halo: the East Cloud

We present the first detailed analysis of the East Cloud, a highly disrupted diffuse stellar substructure in the outer halo of M31. The core of the substructure lies at a projected distance of $\sim100$ kpc from the centre of M31 in the outer halo, with possible extensions reaching right into the inner halo. Using Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey photometry of red giant branch stars, we measure the distance, metallicity and brightness of the cloud. Using Hubble Space Telescope data, we independently measure the distance and metallicity to the two globular clusters coincident with the East Cloud core, PA-57 and PA-58, and find their distances to be consistent with the cloud. Four further globular clusters coincident with the substructure extensions are identified as potentially associated. Combining the analyses, we determine a distance to the cloud of $814^{+20}_{-9}$ kpc, a metallicity of $[Fe/H] = -1.2\pm0.1$, and a brightness of $M_V = -10.7\pm0.4$ mag. Even allowing for the inclusion of the potential extensions, this accounts for less than $20$ per cent of the progenitor luminosity implied by the luminosity-metallicity relation. Using the updated techniques developed for this analysis, we also refine our estimates of the distance and brightness of the South-West Cloud, a separate substructure analyzed in the previous work in this series.

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The Globular Cluster System of NGC 6822

We present a comprehensive analysis of the globular cluster (GC) system of the Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 6822. Our study is based on homogeneous optical and near-IR photometry, as well as long-slit spectroscopic observations which are used to determine new radial velocities for 6 GCs, two of which had no previous spectroscopic information. We construct optical-near IR colour-colour diagrams and through comparison to simple stellar population models infer that the GCs have old ages consistent with being 9 Gyr or older, while their metallicities are in the range between -1.6 < [Fe/H] < -0.4. We conduct a kinematic analysis of the GC population and find tentative evidence for weak net rotation of the GC system, in the same sense as that exhibited by the underlying spheroid. The most likely amplitude of rotation is ~10 km/s, approximately half the magnitude of the observed velocity dispersion. Finally, we use the GCs to estimate the dynamical mass of NGC 6822 within 11 kpc and we formally find it to be in the range between (3-4)10^9 Msun. This implies an overall mass-to-light ratio in the range of ~ 30-40 and indicates that NGC 6822 is highly dark matter dominated. The mass and the corresponding mass-to-light ratio estimates are affected by various additional systematic effects due to limitations of the data and the model that are not necessary reflected in the formal uncertainties.

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Stellar Substructures around the Hercules Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

We present deep $g,i$-band DECam stellar photometry of the Hercules Milky Way satellite galaxy, and its surrounding field, out to a radial distance of 5.4 times the tidal radius. We have identified nine extended stellar substructures associated with the dwarf; preferentially distributed along the major axis of the galaxy. Two significant over-densities lie outside the 95\% confidence band for the likely orbital path of the galaxy and appear to be free-floating tidal debris. We estimate the luminosity of the new stellar substructures, and find that approximately the same amount of stellar flux is lying in these extended structures as inside the main body of Hercules. We also analyse the distribution of candidate blue-horizontal-branch stars and find agreement with the alignment of the substructures at a confidence level greater than 98\%. Our analysis provides a quantitative demonstration that Hercules is a strongly tidally disrupted system, with noticeable stellar features at least 1.9 kpc away from the galaxy.

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The outer halo globular cluster system of M31 - II. Kinematics

We present a detailed kinematic analysis of the outer halo globular cluster (GC) system of M31. Our basis for this is a set of new spectroscopic observations for 78 clusters lying at projected distances between Rproj ~20-140 kpc from the M31 centre. These are largely drawn from the recent PAndAS globular cluster catalogue; 63 of our targets have no previous velocity data. Via a Bayesian maximum likelihood analysis we find that GCs with Rproj > 30 kpc exhibit coherent rotation around the minor optical axis of M31, in the same direction as more centrally- located GCs, but with a smaller amplitude of 86+/-17 km s-1. There is also evidence that the velocity dispersion of the outer halo GC system decreases as a function of projected distance from the M31 centre, and that this relation can be well described by a power law of index ~ -0.5. The velocity dispersion profile of the outer halo GCs is quite similar to that of the halo stars, at least out to the radius up to which there is available information on the stellar kinematics. We detect and discuss various velocity correlations amongst subgroups of GCs that lie on stellar debris streams in the M31 halo. Many of these subgroups are dynamically cold, exhibiting internal velocity dispersions consistent with zero. Simple Monte Carlo experiments imply that such configurations are unlikely to form by chance, adding weight to the notion that a significant fraction of the outer halo GCs in M31 have been accreted alongside their parent dwarf galaxies. We also estimate the M31 mass within 200 kpc via the Tracer Mass Estimator, finding (1.2 - 1.6) +/- 0.2 10^{12}M_sun. This quantity is subject to additional systematic effects due to various limitations of the data, and assumptions built in into the TME. Finally, we discuss our results in the context of formation scenarios for the M31 halo.

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The outer halo globular cluster system of M31 - I. The final PAndAS catalogue

We report the discovery of 59 globular clusters (GCs) and two candidate GCs in a search of the halo of M31, primarily via visual inspection of CHFT/MegaCam imagery from the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS). The superior quality of these data also allow us to check the classification of remote objects in the Revised Bologna Catalogue (RBC), plus a subset of GC candidates drawn from SDSS imaging. We identify three additional new GCs from the RBC, and confirm the GC nature of 11 SDSS objects (8 of which appear independently in our remote halo catalogue); the remaining 188 candidates across both lists are either foreground stars or background galaxies. Our new catalogue represents the first uniform census of GCs across the M31 halo - we find clusters to the limit of the PAndAS survey area at projected radii of up to R_proj ~ 150 kpc. Tests using artificial clusters reveal that detection incompleteness cuts in at luminosities below M_V = -6.0; our 50% completeness limit is M_V ~ -4.1. We construct a uniform set of PAndAS photometric measurements for all known GCs outside R_proj = 25$ kpc, and any new GCs within this radius. With these data we update results from Huxor et al. (2011), investigating the luminosity function (LF), colours and effective radii of M31 GCs with a particular focus on the remote halo. We find that the GCLF is clearly bimodal in the outer halo (R_proj > 30 kpc), with the secondary peak at M_V ~ -5.5. We argue that the GCs in this peak have most likely been accreted along with their host dwarf galaxies. Notwithstanding, we also find, as in previous surveys, a substantial number of GCs with above-average luminosity in the outer M31 halo - a population with no clear counterpart in the Milky Way.

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The large-scale structure of the halo of the Andromeda Galaxy Part I: global stellar density, morphology and metallicity properties

We present an analysis of the large-scale structure of the halo of the Andromeda galaxy, based on the Pan-Andromeda Archeological Survey (PAndAS), currently the most complete map of resolved stellar populations in any galactic halo. Despite copious substructure, the global halo populations follow closely power law profiles that become steeper with increasing metallicity. We divide the sample into stream-like populations and a smooth halo component. Fitting a three-dimensional halo model reveals that the most metal-poor populations ([Fe/H]<-1.7) are distributed approximately spherically (slightly prolate with ellipticity c/a=1.09+/-0.03), with only a relatively small fraction (42%) residing in discernible stream-like structures. The sphericity of the ancient smooth component strongly hints that the dark matter halo is also approximately spherical. More metal-rich populations contain higher fractions of stars in streams (86% for [Fe/H]>-0.6). The space density of the smooth metal-poor component has a global power-law slope of -3.08+/-0.07, and a non-parametric fit shows that the slope remains nearly constant from 30kpc to 300kpc. The total stellar mass in the halo at distances beyond 2 degrees is 1.1x10^10 Solar masses, while that of the smooth component is 3x10^9 Solar masses. Extrapolating into the inner galaxy, the total stellar mass of the smooth halo is plausibly 8x10^9 Solar masses. We detect a substantial metallicity gradient, which declines from [Fe/H]=-0.7 at R=30kpc to [Fe/H]=-1.5 at R=150kpc for the full sample, with the smooth halo being 0.2dex more metal poor than the full sample at each radius. While qualitatively in-line with expectations from cosmological simulations, these observations are of great importance as they provide a prototype template that such simulations must now be able to reproduce in quantitative detail.

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Major Substructure in the M31 Outer Halo: the South-West Cloud

We undertake the first detailed analysis of the stellar population and spatial properties of a diffuse substructure in the outer halo of M31. The South-West Cloud lies at a projected distance of ~100 kpc from the centre of M31, and extends for at least ~50 kpc in projection. We use Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey photometry of red giant branch stars to determine a distance to the South-West Cloud of 793 +/- 45 kpc. The metallicity of the cloud is found to be [Fe/H] = -1.3 +/- 0.1. This is consistent with the coincident globular clusters PAndAS-7 and PAndAS-8, which have metallicities determined using an independent technique of [Fe/H] = -1.35 +/- 0.15. We measure a brightness for the Cloud of M_V = -12.1 mag; this is ~75 per cent of the luminosity implied by the luminosity-metallicity relation. Under the assumption that the South-West Cloud is the visible remnant of an accreted dwarf satellite, this suggests that the progenitor object was amongst M31's brightest dwarf galaxies prior to disruption.

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Newly-Discovered Globular Clusters in NGC 147 and NGC 185 from PAndAS

Using data from the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS), we have discovered four new globular clusters (GCs) associated with the M31 dwarf elliptical (dE) satellites NGC 147 and NGC 185. Three of these are associated with NGC 147 and one with NGC 185. All lie beyond the main optical boundaries of the galaxies and are the most remote clusters yet known in these systems. Radial velocities derived from low resolution spectra are used to argue that the GCs are bound to the dwarfs and are not part of the M31 halo population. Combining PAndAS with UKIRT/WFCAM data, we present the first homogeneous optical and near-IR photometry for the entire GC systems of these dEs. Colour-colour plots and published colour-metallicity relations are employed to constrain GC ages and metallicities. It is demonstrated that the clusters are in general metal poor ([Fe/H] < -1.25 dex), while the ages are more difficult to constrain. The mean (V-I)$_0$ colours of the two GC systems are very similar to those of the GC systems of dEs in the Virgo and Fornax clusters, as well as the extended halo GC population in M31. The new clusters bring the GC specific frequency (S_N) to ~9 in NGC 147 and ~5 in NGC 185, consistent with values found for dEs of similar luminosity residing in a range of environments.

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Kinematics of Outer Halo Globular Clusters in M31

We present the first kinematic analysis of the far outer halo globular cluster (GC) population in the Local Group galaxy M31. Our sample contains 53 objects with projected radii of ~20-130 kpc, of which 44 have no previous spectroscopic information. GCs with projected radii >30 kpc are found to exhibit net rotation around the minor axis of M31, in the same sense as the inner GCs, albeit with a smaller amplitude of 79 +/-19 km/s. The rotation-corrected velocity dispersion of the full halo GC sample is 106 +/-12 km/s, which we observe to decrease with increasing projected radius. We find compelling evidence for kinematic-coherence amongst GCs which project on top of halo substructure, including a clear signature of infall for GCs lying along the North-West stream. Using the tracer mass estimator, we estimate the dynamical mass of M31 within 200 kpc to be M_M31 = (1.2-1.5) +/- 0.2 x 10^12 M_sun. This value is highly dependent on the chosen model and assumptions within.

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