arXiv subjects

A. Recio-Blanco

Publications and source records attributed to A. Recio-Blanco.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Why the Northern Hemisphere Needs a 30-40 m Telescope and the Science at Stake: Resolved Stellar Populations Studies in M31 and its Satellites

A 30 m class optical/near-IR telescope in the Northern Hemisphere, equipped for diffraction-limited imaging and high-resolution, multi-object spectroscopy of faint stars, would enable a transformational investigation of the formation and evolution of M31 and its satellite system - on par with what Gaia, the HST, and other major photometric and spectroscopic facilities have achieved for the Milky Way (MW) and its satellites. The unprecedented detail obtained for our home system has reshaped our understanding of the assembly of the MW disk, halo, and bulge, and that of its satellites, which now serve as a benchmark for galaxy formation and evolution models. Extending this level of insight to the M31 system - that of the nearest massive spiral and the only one for which such a comprehensive, resolved stellar population study is feasible - will allow us to address a fundamental question: how representative is the MW and its satellite system within the broader context of galaxy evolution?

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

3D extinction maps of the Milky Way disc from Gaia GSP-Spec parameters

3D maps of interstellar dust are crucial for understanding the structure of the Milky Way interstellar medium to apply correction to astrophysical observations affected by dust. We aim at providing new extinction estimates in the Gaia BP/RP bands to study the dust distribution in the disc, to provide new views of the spatial distribution of extinction and to compare it with tracers of the Galactic spiral arms. We use a highly homogeneous method based on the spectral chemo-physical parametrisation of stars from Gaia General Stellar Parametriser-Spectroscopy (GSP-Spec). This catalogue of 5.6 million stars in DR3, presents the advantage of estimating the stellar atmospheric parameters independently of extinction. The extinction is calculated by comparing the observed stellar (BP-RP) colours in the Gaia bands with the theoretical ones assuming a theoretical Teff-log(g)-[M/H] relation, from the GSP-Spec parameters. Publicly available, 3D high-resolution maps around the Sun are produced through the computation of differential extinction by discretising the dataset into spherical coordinates. Our large scale map covers a region of 4x4x0.8 kpc centred on the Sun with a discretisation of (dr,d{\theta},d{\phi})=(40pc,1{\deg},1{\deg}). To exploit the higher number of stars in the Sun proximity, we created a smaller scale map focused on the Local Bubble area, with a volume of 1x1x0.8 kpc and a finer discretisation of (dr,d{\theta},d{\phi})=(30pc,1{\deg},1{\deg}). The produced extinction maps exhibit a strong spatial correlation with molecular clouds and the spiral arms. Interestingly, several regions of the map are consistently present in different tracers as density of gas, of young stars and the chemical pattern of the spiral arms. Our study unveils the link between the distribution of dust, gas, and stars governing the chemical and dynamical evolution of the spiral arms in the Galactic framework.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

The AMBRE Project: Line-broadening and stellar rotation of ESO/FEROS archived spectra

Stellar rotation is a fundamental parameter in stellar studies. However, large homogeneous catalogues of rotational velocities derived from high-resolution stellar spectra are still lacking. The main objective of this work is to determine the line-broadening parameter (Vbroad), a proxy for the stellar rotational velocity, in a large sample of FGKM stars based on their ESO/FEROS spectra, previously parameterised by the AMBRE Project. Vbroad was estimated by cross-correlating the FEROS spectra with AMBRE binary masks. This methodology also relies on a specific calibration of a coupling constant between the rotational velocity and the width of the cross-correlation function. This fundamental step was performed by adopting the AMBRE grid of synthetic spectra. The derived Vbroad were then validated using data from the literature, ground-based spectroscopic surveys, and Gaia/RVS. After analysing more than 5,000 FEROS spectra (including repeated spectra for several stars), we obtained the line-broadening coefficients for 2,584 stars covering the FGKM spectral types, any stellar gravity, and metallicities between the metal-poor up to sub-solar regimes. The mean Vbroad relative uncertainty of this sample was found to be smaller than 8%. As expected, most stars were found to be slow rotators (below a few km/s), in particular, cool dwarfs and giants. However, several hot dwarfs and high-luminosity stars with high-Vbroad rates were identified, most of them not previously classified as fast rotators and/or affected by large macro-turbulent effects. The measured rotational broadening values are of high-quality and verified on the basis of literature comparisons. We publicly provide this catalogue of Vbroad parameters, including stellar atmospheric and quality parameters, for the analysed AMBRE/FEROS sources.

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arXiv2024

Signatures of simulated spiral arms on radial actions

Among the various implications of the spiral arms, it has been observed in the Milky Way disc that the distribution of radial actions from the Gaia Data Release 3 exhibits structures that may be related to the spiral arms. Our goal is to investigate the relationship between regions of low radial action identified in simulated discs and the location of the spiral arms, such as that suggested in Palicio et al. (2023) for the Galaxy. For a sample of 23 simulated spiral galaxies, we modelled the axisymmetric component of their gravitational potential to compute the radial action of their stellar particles using the Staeckel fudge. The spatial distribution of the radial action was then compared to the location of the spiral arms, identified as overdensities in the stellar surface density using a kernel density estimator. Our analysis reveals a strong correlation between the radial action distribution and the spiral arms in 18 of 23 simulated galaxies. However, notable discrepancies are observed in the remaining five, since they are profoundly out-of-equilibrium systems, such as galaxies influenced by external interactions or spiral arms still in the process of winding up. We have confirmed that, in general, there is a tendency of spatial correlation between spiral arms and stellar populations featuring low values of the radial action, as discussed in Palicio et al. (2023). However, discrepancies between features in the radial action distribution and the spiral structure can be interpreted as signatures of recent disturbances, a scenario applicable to the Milky Way. Furthermore, populations at least as old as 3 Gyr trace the spiral arms with no significant misalignment across age bins. A linear relation between the maximum value of the radial action of the spiral arms and the vertical scale-length is found, which is also satisfied by the Milky Way.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Constraints on the history of Galactic spiral arms revealed by Gaia GSP-Spec alpha-elements

The distribution of chemical elements in the Galactic disc can reveal fundamental clues on the physical processes that led to the current configuration of our Galaxy. We map chemical azimuthal variations in the disc using individual stellar chemical abundances and discuss their possible connection with the spiral arms and other perturbing mechanisms. Using Gaia Data Release 3, we examine [Ca/Fe] and [Mg/Fe] fluctuations in a ~4 kpc region around the Sun, focusing on bright giant stars. We implemented a kernel density estimator technique to enhance the chemical inhomogeneities. We observe radial gradients and azimuthal fluctuations in [alpha/Fe] for young (<150 Myr) and old (>2 Gyr) stars, with amplitudes varying according to the studied element. In young stars, those within spiral arms (e.g., Sagittarius-Carina and Local arms) are generally more metal and calcium-rich (~0-0.19 dex) but show lower [Ca/Fe] (~0.06 dex) and [Mg/Fe] (~0.05 dex) compared to inter-arm regions, suggesting enhanced iron production in spiral arms. These [alpha/Fe] depletions are analysed in light of theoretical scenarios and compared to a 2D chemical evolution model with multiple spiral patterns. For the old sample, [Ca/Fe] maps reveal deficiencies along a segment of the Local arm identified by young stars. We caution that, for this old sample, the quality of the obtained maps might be limited along a specific line-of-sight, due to the Gaia scanning law. This study transitions our understanding of disc chemical evolution from a 1D radial view to a more detailed 2D framework incorporating radial, azimuthal, and small-scale variations. Individual chemical abundances prove essential for tracing spiral arms in disc galaxies. We recommend models and simulations incorporate alpha-abundance trends to better address spiral arm lifetimes.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Gaia/GSP-spec spectroscopic properties of gamma Doradus pulsators

Gaia/DR3 has provided a large sample of new g-mode pulsators, among which~11,600 are Gam Dor stars. This work present the spectroscopic parameters of these Gam Dor pulsators estimated by the GSP-spec module that analysed millions of Gaia spectra. The Galactic positions, kinematics, and orbital properties of these new Gaia pulsators were examined in order to define a sub-sample belonging to the Milky Way thin disc, in which these young stars should preferentially be found. The stellar luminosities, radii, and astrometric surface gravities were estimated without adopting any priors from uncertain stellar evolution models. These parameters, combined with the GSP-spec effective temperatures, spectroscopic gravities, and metallicities were then validated by comparison with recent literature studies. Most stars are found to belong to the Galactic thin disc, as expected. It is also found that the derived luminosities, radii, and astrometric surface gravities are of high quality and have values typical of genuine Gam Dor pulsators. Moreover, we have shown that Teff and [M/H] of pulsators with high enough SNR spectra or slow to moderate rotation rates are robust. This allowed to define a sub-sample of genuine slow-rotating Gaia Gam Dor pulsators. Their Teff are found between ~6500 and ~7800K, log(g) around 4.2 and luminosities and stellar radii peak at ~5Lsun and ~1.7Rsun. [M/H] is close to the Solar value, although 0.5dex more metal-poor and metal-rich Gam Dor are identified. The [alpha/Fe] content is fully consistent with the chemical properties of the Galactic disc. Gaia/DR3 spectroscopic properties of Gam Dor stars therefore confirm the nature of these pulsators and allow to chemo-physically parametrise a new large sample of such stars. Moreover, future Gaia DR should drastically increase the number of Gam Dor stars with good-precision spectroscopically derived parameters.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

The AMBRE Project: Lead abundance in Galactic stars

The chemical evolution of neutron capture elements in the Milky Way is still a matter of debate. Although more and more studies investigate their chemical behaviour, there is still a lack of a significant large sample of abundances of a key heavy element: lead. Lead is the final product of the s-process nucleosynthesis channel and is one of the most stable heavy elements. We analysed high-resolution spectra from the ESO UVES and FEROS archives. Atmospheric parameters were taken from the AMBRE parametrisation. We used the automated abundance method GAUGUIN to derive lead abundances in 653 slow-rotating FGK-type stars from the 368.34nm Pb I line. We present the largest catalogue of homogeneous LTE and non-LTE lead abundances ever published with metallicities ranging from -2.9 to 0.6dex and [Pb/Fe] from -0.7 to 3.3dex. Within this sample, no lead-enhanced Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars were found, but nine lead-enhanced metal-poor stars ([Pb/Fe] > 1.5) were detected. Most of them were already identified as carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars with enrichments in other s-process species. The lead abundance of 13 Gaia Benchmark Stars are also provided. We then investigated the Pb content of the Milky Way disc by computing vertical and radial gradients and found a slightly decreasing [Pb/Fe] radial trend with metallicity. This trend together with other related ratios ([Pb/Eu], [Pb/Ba], and [Pb/alpha]) are interpreted thanks to chemical evolution models. The two-infall model closely reproduces the observed trends with respect to the metallicity. It is also found that the AGB contribution to the Pb Galactic enrichment has to be strongly reduced. Moreover, the contribution of massive stars with rather high rotational velocities should be favoured in the low-metallicity regime.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

The Great Wave: Evidence of a large-scale vertical corrugation propagating outwards in the Galactic disc

We analyse the three-dimensional structure and kinematics of two samples of young stars in the Galactic disc, containing respectively young giants ($\sim$17$\, $000 stars out to heliocentric distances of $\sim$7 kpc) and classical Cepheids ($\sim$3400 stars out to heliocentric distances of $\sim$15 kpc). The vertical structure of the two samples exhibit a consistent shape of the Milky Way's warp, whose amplitude reaches $\sim$700 pc at a Galactocentric radius R $\sim$ 14 kpc. Moreover, both samples show evidence of a large-scale vertical corrugation on top of the warp with a vertical height of $\sim$150-200 pc, extending over a large portion of the Galactic disc between Galactocentric radii $R \sim$ 10-12 kpc in the third Galactic quadrant (galactic longitudes $180^\circ < l < 270^\circ$) and $\sim$12-14 kpc in the second Galactic quadrant ($90^\circ < l < 180^\circ$). Its total length is at least 10 kpc and can possibly reach $\sim$ 20 kpc with the Cepheid sample. The stars in the corrugation exhibit both radial and vertical systematic motions, with Galactocentric radial velocities towards the outer disc of about 10-15 km/s. In the vertical motions, once the warp signature is subtracted, the residuals show a large-scale feature of systematically positive vertical velocities, which is shifted to slightly larger Galactocentric radii with respect to the spatial vertical corrugation (with a phase difference of roughly $\pi/2$), indicating an oscillatory behaviour. A comparison of the observed shift with a simple toy model suggests that the corrugation can be interpreted as a wave propagating towards the outer disc. The wave mapped in this work is located at larger heliocentric distances compared to the Radcliffe wave, a $\sim$2.7 kpc filament of dense gas clouds close to the Sun, and exhibits a larger coverage of the Galactic disc.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

The Gaia-ESO Survey DR5.1 and Gaia DR3 GSP-Spec: a comparative analysis

(abridged) The third data release of Gaia, has provided stellar parameters, metallicity [M/H], [{\alpha}/Fe], individual abundances, broadening parameter from its RVS spectra for about 5.6 million objects thanks to the GSP-Spec module. The catalogue publishes the radial velocity of 33 million sources. We took advantage of the intersections between Gaia RVS and Gaia-ESO to compare their stellar parameters, abundances and radial and rotational velocities. We aimed at verifying the overall agreement between the two datasets, considering the various calibrations and the quality-control flag system suggested for the Gaia GSP-Spec parameters. For the targets in common between Gaia RVS and Gaia-ESO, we performed several statistical checks on the distributions of their stellar parameters, abundances and velocities of targets in common. For the Gaia surface gravity and metallicity we considered both the uncalibrated and calibrated values. We find an excellent agreement between the Gaia and Gaia-ESO radial velocities given the uncertainties affecting each dataset. Less than 25 of ~2100 Gaia-ESO spectroscopic binaries are flagged as non-single stars by Gaia. The temperature scales are in good agreement. The calibrated GSP-Spec gravity should be preferred. We note that the quality (accuracy, precision) of the GSP-Spec parameters degrades quickly for objects fainter than G~11. We find that the somewhat imprecise GSP-Spec abundances due to its medium-resolution spectroscopy over a short wavelength window and the faint G regime of the sample under study can be counterbalanced by working with averaged quantities. We studied some properties of the open-cluster population: our combined sample traces very well the radial [Fe/H] and [Ca/Fe] gradients, the age-metallicity relations in different radial regions, and it places the clusters in the thin disc.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Production of s-process elements in AGB stars as revealed by Gaia GSP-spec abundances

The recent parameterisation by the GSP-spec module of Gaia/RVS spectra has produced an homogeneous catalogue of about 174,000 AGB stars. Among the 13 chemical elements presented in this catalogue, the abundance of 2 of them (Ce and Nd) have been estimated in most of these AGBs. These 2 species formed by slow n-captures in the interior of low- and intermediate-mass stars, belong to the family of 2nd-peak s-process elements. We defined a working sample of 19,544 AGB stars with high-quality Ce and/or Nd abundances, selected by applying a specific combination of the GSP-spec quality flags. We compared these abundances with the yield production predicted by AGB stars evolutionary models. We found a good correlation between the Ce and Nd abundances, confirming the high quality of the derived abundances and that these species indeed belong to the same s-process family. We also found higher Ce and Nd abundances for more evolved AGB stars of similar metallicity, illustrating the successive mixing episodes enriching the AGB star surface. We then compared the observed Ce and Nd abundances with the FRUITY and Monash AGB yields and found that the higher Ce and Nd abundances cannot be explained by AGB stars of masses higher than 5Msun. In contrast, the yields predicted by both models for AGB stars with an initial mass between ~1.5 and ~2.5Mssun and metallicities between ~-0.5 and ~0.0dex are fully compatible with the observed GSP-spec abundances. This work based on the largest catalogue of high-quality second-peak s-element abundances in O-rich AGB stars allows evolutionary models to be constrained and confirms the fundamental role played by low- and intermediate-mass stars in the enrichment of the Universe in these chemical species.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Gaia Focused Product Release: Spatial distribution of two diffuse interstellar bands

Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) are absorption features seen in optical and infrared spectra of stars that are probably caused by large and complex molecules in the ISM. Here we investigate the Galactic distribution and properties of two DIBs identified in almost six million stellar spectra collected by the Gaia Radial Velocity Spectrometer. These measurements constitute a part of the Gaia Focused Product Release to be made public between the Gaia DR3 and DR4 data releases. In order to isolate the DIB signal from the stellar features in each individual spectrum, we identified a set of 160 000 spectra at high Galactic latitudes which we consider to be the DIB-free reference sample. Matching each target spectrum to its closest reference spectra in stellar parameter space allowed us to remove the stellar spectrum empirically, without reference to stellar models, leaving a set of six million ISM spectra. Identifying the two DIBs at 862.1 nm and 864.8 nm in the stacked spectra, we modelled their shapes and report the depth, central wavelength, width, and equivalent width (EW) for each, along with confidence bounds on these measurements. Our main results are as follows: (1) the strength and spatial distribution of the DIB $λ$862.1 are very consistent with what was found in Gaia DR3, but for this work we attained a higher signal-to-noise ratio in the stacked spectra to larger distances, which allowed us to trace DIBs in the outer spiral arm and beyond the Scutum--Centaurus spiral arm; (2) we produced an all-sky map below ${\pm}65^{\circ}$ of Galactic latitude to $\sim$4000 pc of both DIB features and their correlations; (3) we detected the signals of DIB\,$λ$862.1 inside the Local Bubble; and (4) there is a reasonable correlation with the dust reddening found from stellar absorption and EWs of both DIBs.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

2D chemical evolution models II. Effects of multiple spiral arm patterns on O, Eu, Fe and Ba abundance gradients

According to observations and numerical simulations, the Milky Way could exhibit several spiral arm modes with multiple pattern speeds, wherein the slower patterns are located at larger Galactocentric distances. Our aim is to quantify the effects of the spiral arms on the azimuthal variations of the chemical abundances for oxygen, iron and for the first time for neutron-capture elements (europium and barium) in the Galactic disc. We assume a model based on multiple spiral arm modes with different pattern speeds. The resulting model represents an updated version of previous 2D chemical evolution models. We apply new analytical prescriptions for the spiral arms in a 2D Galactic disc chemical evolution model, exploring the possibility that the spiral structure is formed by the overlap of chunks with different pattern speeds and spatial extent. The predicted azimuthal variations in abundance gradients are dependent on the considered chemical element. Elements synthesised on short time scales (i.e., oxygen and europium in this study) exhibit larger abundance fluctuations. In fact, for progenitors with short lifetimes, the chemical elements restored into the ISM perfectly trace the star formation perturbed by the passage of the spiral arms. The map of the star formation rate predicted by our chemical evolution model with multiple patterns of spiral arms presents arcs and arms compatible with those revealed by multiple tracers (young upper main sequence stars, Cepheids, and distribution of stars with low radial actions). Finally, our model predictions are in good agreement with the azimuthal variations that emerged from the analysis of Gaia DR3 GSP-Spec [M/H] abundance ratios, if at most recent times the pattern speeds match the Galactic rotational curve at all radii.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

Analytic solution of Chemical Evolution Models with Type Ia SNe

Context: In the last years, a significant number of works have focused on finding analytic solutions for the chemical enrichment models of galactic systems, including the Milky Way. Some of these solutions, however, cannot account for the enrichment produced by Type Ia SNe due to the presence of the delay time distributions (DTDs) in the models. Aims: We present a new analytic solution for the chemical evolution model of the Galaxy. This solution can be used with different prescriptions of the DTD, including the single and double degenerate scenarios, and allows the inclusion of an arbitrary number of pristine gas infalls. Methods: We integrate the chemical evolution model by extending the instantaneous recycling approximation with the contribution of Type Ia SNe. For those DTDs that lead to non-analytic integrals, we describe them as a superposition of Gaussian, exponential and 1/t functions using a restricted least-squares fitting method. Results: We obtain the exact solution for a chemical model with Type Ia SNe widely used in previous works. This solution can reproduce the expected chemical evolution of the alpha and iron-peak elements in less computing time than numerical integration methods. We compare the pattern in the [Si/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] plane observed by APOGEE DR17 with that predicted by the model. We find the low alpha sequence can be explained by a delayed gas infall. We exploit the applicability of our solution by modelling the chemical evolution of a simulated Milky Way-like galaxy from its star formation history. The implementation of our solution is released as a python package. Conclusions: Our solution constitutes a promising tool for the Galactic Archaeology and is able to model the observed trends in alpha element abundances versus [Fe/H] in the solar neighbourhood. We infer the chemical information of a simulated galaxy modelled without Chemistry.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

The Gaia-ESO Survey: homogenisation of stellar parameters and elemental abundances

The Gaia-ESO Survey is a public spectroscopic survey that has targeted $\gtrsim10^5$ stars covering all major components of the Milky Way from the end of 2011 to 2018, delivering its public final release in May 2022. Unlike other spectroscopic surveys, Gaia-ESO is the only survey that observed stars across all spectral types with dedicated, specialised analyses: from O ($T_\mathrm{eff} \sim 30,000-52,000$~K) all the way to K-M ($\gtrsim$3,500~K). The physics throughout these stellar regimes varies significantly, which has previously prohibited any detailed comparisons between stars of significantly different type. In the final data release (internal data release 6) of the Gaia-ESO Survey, we provide the final database containing a large number of products such as radial velocities, stellar parameters and elemental abundances, rotational velocity, and also, e.g., activity and accretion indicators in young stars and membership probability in star clusters for more than 114,000 stars. The spectral analysis is coordinated by a number of Working Groups (WGs) within the Survey, which specialise in the various stellar samples. Common targets are analysed across WGs to allow for comparisons (and calibrations) amongst instrumental setups and spectral types. Here we describe the procedures employed to ensure all Survey results are placed on a common scale to arrive at a single set of recommended results for all Survey collaborators to use. We also present some general quality and consistency checks performed over all Survey results.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Spiral-like features in the disc revealed by Gaia DR3 radial actions

We aim to explore the actions of the new Gaia DR3 astrometry to find structures in the Galactic disc. We compute the actions and the orbital parameters of the Gaia DR3 stars with full astrometry and velocities assuming an axisymmetric model for the Milky Way. Using Gaia DR3 photometric data, we select a subset of giants stars with better astrometry as control sample. The maps of the percentiles of the radial action J_R reveal spiral-like shape structures. We find a high J_R region centered at R~10.5 kpc of 1 kpc width, as well as three arc-shape regions dominated by circular orbits at inner radii. We also identify the spiral arms in the overdensities of the giant population. We find a good agreement with the literature in the innermost region for the Scutum-Sagittarius spiral arms. At larger radii, the low J_R structure tracks the Local arm at negative X, while for the Perseus arm the agreement is restricted to the X<2 kpc region, with a displacement with respect to the literature at more negative longitudes. We detect a high J_R area at a Galactocentric radii of ~10.5 kpc, consistent with some estimations of the Outer Lindblad Resonance location. We conclude that the pattern in the dynamics of the old stars is consistent in several places with spatial distribution of the spiral arms traced by young populations, with small potential contributions from the moving groups.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

The cerium content of the Milky Way as revealed by Gaia DR3 GSP-Spec abundances

The recent Gaia Third Data Release contains a homogeneous analysis of millions of high-quality Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS) stellar spectra by the GSP-Spec module. This led to the estimation of millions of individual chemical abundances and allows us to chemically map the Milky Way. Among the published GSP-Spec abundances, three heavy-elements produced by neutron-captures in stellar interiors can be found: Ce, Zr and Nd. We use a sample of about 30,000 LTE Ce abundances, selected after applying different combinations of GSP-Spec flags. Thanks to the Gaia DR3 astrometric data and radial velocities, we explore the cerium content in the Milky Way and, in particular, in its halo and disc components. The high quality of the Ce GSP-Spec abundances is quantified thanks to literature comparisons. We found a rather flat [Ce/Fe] versus [M/H] trend. We also found a flat radial gradient in the disc derived from field stars and, independently, from about 50 open clusters, in agreement with previous studies. The [Ce/Fe] vertical gradient has also been estimated. We also report an increasing [Ce/Ca] vs [Ca/H] in the disc, illustrating the late contribution of AGB with respect to SN II. Our cerium abundances in the disc, including the young massive population, are well reproduced by a new three-infall chemical evolution model. Among the halo population, the M 4 globular cluster is found to be enriched in cerium. Moreover, eleven stars with cerium abundances belonging to the Thamnos, Helmi Stream and Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus accreted systems were identified from chemo-dynamical diagnostics. We found that the Helmi Stream could be slightly underabundant in cerium, compared to the two other systems. This work illustrates the high quality of the GSP-Spec chemical abundances, that significantly contributes to unveil the heavy elements evolution history of the Milky Way.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Beyond the two-infall model I. Indications for a recent gas infall with Gaia DR3 chemical abundances

The recent Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) represents an unparalleled revolution in Galactic Archaeology, providing us with numerous radial velocities chemical abundances for millions of stars, with all-sky coverage. We present a new chemical evolution model for the Galactic disc components (high- and low- $α$ sequence stars) designed to reproduce the new abundance ratios provided by the GSP-spec module for the Gaia DR3 and also constrained by the detailed star formation histories for both the thick and thin disc stars inferred from previous Gaia releases. Sophisticated modeling based on previous Gaia releases has found evidence for narrow episodes of enhanced SF inferred in recent time. Additionally, Gaia DR3 highlighted the presence of young (massive) low-$α$ disc stars which show evidence of a recent chemical impoverishment in several elements. Hence, in this study, we compare Gaia DR3 chemical abundances with the predictions of a three-infall chemical evolution model for the high- and low-$α$ components. The proposed three-infall chemical evolution model nicely reproduces the main features of the abundance ratio [X/Fe] versus [M/H] (X=Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, $α$) of Gaia DR3 stars in different age bins for the considered $α$ elements. Moreover, the most recent gas infall - which started $\sim$ 2.7 Gyr ago - allows us to predict well the Gaia DR3 young population which has experienced a recent chemical impoverishment.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Ultracool dwarfs in Gaia DR3

Aims. In this work we use the Gaia DR3 set of ultracool dwarf candidates and complement the Gaia spectrophotometry with additional photometry in order to characterise its global properties. This includes the inference of the distances, their locus in the Gaia colour-absolute magnitude diagram and the (biased through selection) luminosity function in the faint end of the Main Sequence. We study the overall changes in the Gaia RP spectra as a function of spectral type. We study the UCDs in binary systems, attempt to identify low-mass members of nearby young associations, star forming regions and clusters, and analyse their variability properties. Results. We detect 57 young, kinematically homogeneous groups some of which are identified as well known star forming regions, associations and clusters of different ages. We find that the primary members of 880 binary systems with a UCD belong mainly to the thin and thick disk components of the Milky Way. We identify 1109 variable UCDs using the variability tables in the Gaia archive, 728 of which belong to the star forming regions defined by HMAC. We define two groups of variable UCDs with extreme bright or faint outliers. Conclusions. The set of sources identified as UCDs in the Gaia archive contains a wealth of information that will require focused follow-up studies and observations. It will help to advance our understanding of the nature of the faint end of the Main Sequence and the stellar/substellar transition.

astro-ph.SR↗