arXiv subjects

Alexander P. Ji

Publications and source records attributed to Alexander P. Ji.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Public Release of A-SLOTH: Ancient Stars and Local Observables by Tracing Halos

The semi-analytical model A-SLOTH (Ancient Stars and Local Observables by Tracing Halos) is the first public code that connects the formation of the first stars and galaxies to observables. After several successful projects with this model, we publish the source code and describe the public version in this paper. The model is based on dark matter merger trees that can either be generated based on Extended Press-Schechter theory or that can be imported from dark matter simulations. On top of these merger trees, A-SLOTH applies analytical recipes for baryonic physics to model the formation of both metal-free and metal-poor stars and the transition between them with unprecedented precision and fidelity. A-SLOTH samples individual stars and includes radiative, chemical, and mechanical feedback. It is calibrated based on six observables, such as the optical depth to Thomson scattering, the stellar mass of the Milky Way and its satellite galaxies, the number of extremely-metal poor stars, and the cosmic star formation rate density at high redshift. A-SLOTH has versatile applications with moderate computational requirements. It can be used to constrain the properties of the first stars and high-z galaxies based on local observables, predicts properties of the oldest and most metal-poor stars in the Milky Way, can serve as a subgrid model for larger cosmological simulations, and predicts next-generation observables of the early Universe, such as supernova rates or gravitational wave events.

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arXiv2022

The chemical abundance pattern of the extremely metal-poor thin disk star 2MASS J1808-5104 and its origins

We present a high-resolution ($R\sim35,000$), high signal-to-noise ($S/N=350$) Magellan/MIKE spectrum of the bright extremely metal-poor star 2MASS~J1808$-$5104. We find [Fe/H] = $-$4.01 (spectroscopic LTE stellar parameters), [Fe/H] = $-$3.8 (photometric stellar parameters), [Fe/H] = $-$3.7 (spectroscopic NLTE stellar parameters). We measured a carbon-to-iron ratio of $\mbox{[C/Fe]}= 0.38$ from the CH G-band. J1808$-$5104 is thus not carbon-enhanced, contrary to many other stars with similarly low iron abundances. We also determine, for the first time, a barium abundance ($\mbox{[Ba/Fe]} =-0.78$), and obtain a significantly reduced upper limit for the nitrogen abundance ([N/Fe]$ < - 0.2$). J1808$-$5104 has low ratio of $\mbox{[Sr/Ba]}=-0.17$, which is consistent with that of stars in ultra-faint dwarf galaxies. We also fit the abundance pattern of J1808$-$5104 with nucleosynthesis yields from a grid of Population\,III supernova models. There is a good fit to the abundance pattern which suggests J1808$-$5104 originated from gas enriched by a single massive supernova with a high explosion energy of E $=10\times10^{51}$\,erg and a progenitor stellar mass of M$=29.5$\,M$_{\odot}$. Interestingly, J1808$-$5104 is a member of the Galactic thin disk, as confirmed by our detailed kinematic analysis and calculated stellar actions and velocities. Finally, we also established the orbital history of J1808$-$5104 using our time-dependent Galactic potential the \texttt{ORIENT}. J1808$-$5104 appears to have a stable quasi-circular orbit and been largely confined to the thin disk. This unique orbital history, the star's very old age ($\sim13.5$\,Gyr), and the low [C/Fe] and [Sr/Ba] ratios suggest that J1808$-$5104 may have formed at the earliest epoch of the hierarchical assembly of the Milky Way, and it is most likely associated with the primordial thin disk.

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arXiv2022

Streams on FIRE: Populations of Detectable Stellar Streams in the Milky Way and FIRE

We present the first detailed study comparing the populations of stellar streams in cosmological simulations to observed Milky Way dwarf galaxy streams. In particular, we compare streams identified around Milky Way analogs in the FIRE-2 simulations to stellar streams observed by the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey (S5). For an accurate comparison between the stream populations, we produce mock Dark Energy Survey (DES) observations of the FIRE streams and estimate the detectability of their tidal tails and progenitors. The number and stellar mass distributions of detectable stellar streams is consistent between observations and simulations. However, there are discrepancies in the distributions of pericenters and apocenters, with the detectable FIRE streams, on average, forming at larger pericenters (out to > 110 kpc) and surviving only at larger apocenters (> 40 kpc) than those observed in the Milky Way. We find that the population of high-stellar mass dwarf galaxy streams in the Milky Way is incomplete. Interestingly, a large fraction of the FIRE streams would only be detected as satellites in DES-like observations, since their tidal tails are too low-surface brightness to be detectable. We thus predict a population of yet-undetected tidal tails around Milky Way satellites, as well as a population of fully undetected low surface brightness stellar streams, and estimate their detectability with the Rubin Observatory. Finally, we discuss the causes and implications of the discrepancies between the stream populations in FIRE and the Milky Way, and explore future avenues for tests of satellite disruption in cosmological simulations.

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arXiv2022

Possibilities and Limitations of Kinematically Identifying Stars from Accreted Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies

The Milky Way has accreted many ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs), and stars from these galaxies can be found throughout our Galaxy today. Studying these stars provides insight into galaxy formation and early chemical enrichment, but identifying them is difficult. Clustering stellar dynamics in 4D phase space ($E$, $L_z$, $J_r$, $J_z$) is one method of identifying accreted structure which is currently being utilized in the search for accreted UFDs. We produce 32 simulated stellar halos using particle tagging with the \textit{Caterpillar} simulation suite and thoroughly test the abilities of different clustering algorithms to recover tidally disrupted UFD remnants. We perform over 10,000 clustering runs, testing seven clustering algorithms, roughly twenty hyperparameter choices per algorithm, and six different types of data sets each with up to 32 simulated samples. Of the seven algorithms, HDBSCAN most consistently balances UFD recovery rates and cluster realness rates. We find that even in highly idealized cases, the vast majority of clusters found by clustering algorithms do not correspond to real accreted UFD remnants and we can generally only recover $6\%$ of UFDs remnants at best. These results focus exclusively on groups of stars from UFDs, which have weak dynamic signatures compared to the background of other stars. The recoverable UFD remnants are those that accreted recently, $z_{\text{accretion}}\lesssim 0.5$. Based on these results, we make recommendations to help guide the search for dynamically-linked clusters of UFD stars in observational data. We find that real clusters generally have higher median energy and $J_r$, providing a way to help identify real vs. fake clusters. We also recommend incorporating chemical tagging as a way to improve clustering results.

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arXiv2022

Tracing stars in Milky Way satellites with A-SLOTH

We study the stellar mass-to-halo mass relation at $z=0$ in 30 Milky Way-like systems down to the ultra-faint ($M_* < 10^5 M_\odot$) regime using the semi-analytic model A-SLOTH. A new model allows us to follow star formation and the stochastic stellar feedback from individually sampled Pop II stars. Our fiducial model produces consistent results with the stellar mass-to-halo mass relation derived from abundance matching and the observed cumulative stellar mass function above the observational completeness. We find a plateau in the stellar mass-to-halo mass relation in the ultra-faint regime. The stellar mass of this plateau tells us how many stars formed before supernovae occur and regulate further star formation, which is determined by the Pop~II star formation efficiency. We also find that the number of luminous satellites increases rapidly as $M_*$ decreases until $M_* \approx 10^4 M_\odot$. Finally, we find that the relative streaming velocity between baryons and dark matter at high redshift is important in determining the number of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies at $z=0$. The new model in A-SLOTH provides a framework to study the stellar properties and the formation history of metal-poor stars in Milky Way and its satellites.

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arXiv2022

The Chemical Composition of Extreme-Velocity Stars

Little is known about the origin of the fastest stars in the Galaxy. Our understanding of the Milky Way and surrounding dwarf galaxies chemical evolution history allows us to use the chemical composition of a star to investigate its origin, and say whether a star was formed in-situ or was accreted. However, the fastest stars, the hypervelocity stars, are young and massive and their chemical composition has not yet been analyzed. Though it is difficult to analyze the chemical composition of a massive young star, we are well versed in the analysis of late-type stars. We have used high-resolution ARCES/3.5m Apache Point Observatory, MIKE/Magellan spectra to study the chemical details of 15 late-type hypervelocity stars candidates. With Gaia EDR3 astrometry and spectroscopically determined radial velocities we found total velocities with a range of $274$ - $520$ km s$^{-1}$ and mean value of $381$ km s$^{-1}$. Therefore, our sample stars are not fast enough to be classified as Hypervelocity stars, and are what is known as extreme-velocity stars. Our sample has a wide iron abundance range of $-2.5 \le \mathrm{[Fe/H]} \le -0.9$. Their chemistry indicate that at least 50\% of them are accreted extragalactic stars, with iron-peak elements consistent with prior sub-Chandrasekhar mass type Ia supernova enrichment. Without indication of binary companions, their chemical abundances and orbital parameters are indicative that they are the accelerated tidal debris of disrupted dwarf galaxies.

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arXiv2022

$S^5$: The Orbital and Chemical Properties of One Dozen Stellar Streams

We report the kinematic, orbital, and chemical properties of 12 stellar streams with no evident progenitors, using line-of-sight velocities and metallicities from the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey ($S^5$), proper motions from $Gaia$ EDR3, and distances derived from distance tracers or the literature. This data set provides the largest homogeneously analyzed set of streams with full 6D kinematics and metallicities. All streams have heliocentric distances between ${\sim}10-50$ kpc. The velocity and metallicity dispersions show that half of the stream progenitors were disrupted dwarf galaxies (DGs), while the other half originated from disrupted globular clusters (GCs), hereafter referred to as DG and GC streams. Based on the mean metallicities of the streams and the mass-metallicity relation, the luminosities of the progenitors of the DG streams range between Carina and Ursa Major I ($-9.5\lesssim M_V\lesssim-5.5$). Four of the six GC streams have mean metallicities of [Fe/H]$< -2$, more metal-poor than typical Milky Way (MW) GCs at similar distances. Interestingly, the 300S and Jet GC streams are the only streams on retrograde orbits in our dozen stream sample. Finally, we compare the orbital properties of the streams with known DGs and GCs in the MW, finding several possible associations. Some streams appear to have been accreted with the recently discovered Gaia-Enceladus-Sausage system, and others suggest that GCs were formed in and accreted together with the progenitors of DG streams whose stellar masses are similar to Draco to Carina ($\sim10^5-10^6M_\odot$).

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arXiv2021

Simultaneous Constraints on the Star Formation History and Nucleosynthesis of Sculptor dSph

We demonstrate that using up to seven stellar abundance ratios can place observational constraints on the star formation histories (SFHs) of Local Group dSphs, using the Sculptor dSph as a test case. We use a one-zone chemical evolution model to fit the overall abundance patterns of $α$ elements (which probe the core-collapse supernovae that occur shortly after star formation), $s$-process elements (which probe AGB nucleosynthesis at intermediate delay times), and iron-peak elements (which probe delayed Type Ia supernovae). Our best-fit model indicates that Sculptor dSph has an ancient SFH, consistent with previous estimates from deep photometry. However, we derive a total star formation duration of $\sim0.9$ Gyr, which is shorter than photometrically-derived SFHs. We explore the effect of various model assumptions on our measurement and find that modifications to these assumptions still produce relatively short SFHs of duration $\lesssim1.4$ Gyr. Our model is also able to compare sets of predicted nucleosynthetic yields for supernovae and AGB stars, and can provide insight into the nucleosynthesis of individual elements in Sculptor dSph. We find that observed [Mn/Fe] and [Ni/Fe] trends are most consistent with sub-$M_{\mathrm{Ch}}$ Type Ia supernova models, and that a combination of "prompt" (delay times similar to core-collapse supernovae) and "delayed" (minimum delay times $\gtrsim50$ Myr) $r$-process events may be required to reproduce observed [Ba/Mg] and [Eu/Mg] trends.

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arXiv2021

Metallicity Distribution Function of the Eridanus~II Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxy from Hubble Space Telescope Narrow-band Imaging

We use deep narrowband Ca H&K ($F395N$) imaging taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to construct the metallicity distribution function (MDF) of Local Group (LG) ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxy Eridanus II (Eri II). When combined with archival $F475W$ and $F814W$ data, we measure metallicities for 60 resolved red giant branch stars as faint as $m_{F475W}\sim24$ mag, a factor of $\sim4$x more stars than current spectroscopic MDF determinations. We find that Eri II has a mean metallicity of [Fe/H]$=$-2.50$^{+0.07}_{-0.07}$ and a dispersion of $σ_{\mbox{[Fe/H]}}=0.42^{+0.06}_{-0.06}$, which are consistent with spectroscopic MDFs, though more precisely constrained owing to a larger sample. We identify a handful of extremely metal-poor star candidates (EMP; [Fe/H] $< -3$) that are marginally bright enough for spectroscopic follow up. Eri II's MDF appears well-described by a leaky box chemical evolution model. We also compute an updated orbital history for Eri II using Gaia eDR3 proper motions, and find that it is likely on first infall into the Milky Way. Our findings suggest that Eri II underwent an evolutionary history similar to that of an isolated galaxy. Compared to MDFs for select cosmological simulations of similar mass galaxies, we find that Eri II has a lower fraction of stars with [Fe/H] $< -3$, though such comparisons should currently be treated with caution due to a paucity of simulations, selection effects, and known limitations of Ca H&K for EMPs. This study demonstrates the power of deep HST CaHK imaging for measuring the MDFs of UFDs.

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arXiv2021

Evidence from Disrupted Halo Dwarfs that $r$-process Enrichment via Neutron Star Mergers is Delayed by $\gtrsim500$ Myrs

The astrophysical origins of $r$-process elements remain elusive. Neutron star mergers (NSMs) and special classes of core-collapse supernovae (rCCSNe) are leading candidates. Due to these channels' distinct characteristic timescales (rCCSNe: prompt, NSMs: delayed), measuring $r$-process enrichment in galaxies of similar mass, but differing star-formation durations might prove informative. Two recently discovered disrupted dwarfs in the Milky Way's stellar halo, Kraken and \textit{Gaia}-Sausage Enceladus (GSE), afford precisely this opportunity: both have $M_{\star}\approx10^{8}M_{\rm{\odot}}$, but differing star-formation durations of ${\approx}2$ Gyrs and ${\approx}3.6$ Gyrs. Here we present $R\approx50,000$ Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy for 31 stars from these systems, detecting the $r$-process element Eu in all stars. Stars from both systems have similar [Mg/H]$\approx-1$, but Kraken has a median [Eu/Mg]$\approx-0.1$ while GSE has an elevated [Eu/Mg]$\approx0.2$. With simple models we argue NSM enrichment must be delayed by $500-1000$ Myrs to produce this difference. rCCSNe must also contribute, especially at early epochs, otherwise stars formed during the delay period would be Eu-free. In this picture, rCCSNe account for $\approx50\%$ of the Eu in Kraken, $\approx25\%$ in GSE, and $\approx15\%$ in dwarfs with extended star-formation durations like Sagittarius. The inferred delay time for NSM enrichment is $10-100\times$ longer than merger delay times from stellar population synthesis -- this is not necessarily surprising because the enrichment delay includes time taken for NSM ejecta to be incorporated into subsequent generations of stars. For example, this may be due to natal kicks that result in $r$-enriched material deposited far from star-forming gas, which then takes $\approx10^{8}-10^{9}$ years to cool in these galaxies.

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arXiv2021

Kinematics of Antlia 2 and Crater 2 from The Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey (S5)

We present new spectroscopic observations of the diffuse Milky Way satellite galaxies Antlia 2 and Crater 2, taken as part of the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey (S5). The new observations approximately double the number of confirmed member stars in each galaxy and more than double the spatial extent of spectroscopic observations in Antlia 2. A full kinematic analysis, including Gaia EDR3 proper motions, detects a clear velocity gradient in Antlia 2 and a tentative velocity gradient in Crater 2. The velocity gradient magnitudes and directions are consistent with particle stream simulations of tidal disruption. Furthermore, the orbit and kinematics of Antlia 2 require a model that includes the reflex motion of the Milky Way induced by the Large Magellanic Cloud. We also find that Antlia 2's metallicity was previously overestimated, so it lies on the empirical luminosity-metallicity relation and is likely only now experiencing substantial stellar mass loss. Current dynamical models of Antlia 2 require it to have lost over 90% of its stars to tides, in tension with the low stellar mass loss implied by the updated metallicity. Overall, the new kinematic measurements support a tidal disruption scenario for the origin of these large and extended dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

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arXiv2021

Signature of a massive rotating metal-poor star imprinted in the Phoenix stellar stream

The Phoenix stellar stream has a low intrinsic dispersion in velocity and metallicity that implies the progenitor was probably a low mass globular cluster. In this work we use Magellan/MIKE high-dispersion spectroscopy of eight Phoenix stream red giants to confirm this scenario. In particular, we find negligible intrinsic scatter in metallicity ($σ(\mathrm{[Fe~II/H]}) = 0.04^{+0.11}_{-0.03}$) and a large peak-to-peak range in [Na/Fe] and [Al/Fe] abundance ratios, consistent with the light element abundance patterns seen in the most metal-poor globular clusters. However, unlike any other globular cluster, we also find an intrinsic spread in [Sr II/Fe] spanning $\sim$1 dex, while [Ba II/Fe] shows nearly no intrinsic spread ($σ(\mathrm{[Ba~II/H]}) = {0.03}^{+0.10}_{-0.02}$). This abundance signature is best interpreted as slow neutron capture element production from a massive fast-rotating metal-poor star ($15-20 \mathrm{M}_\odot$, $v_\mathrm{ini}/v_\mathrm{crit} = 0.4$, $[\mathrm{Fe/H}] = -3.8$). The low inferred cluster mass suggests the system would have been unable to retain supernovae ejecta, implying that any massive fast-rotating metal-poor star that enriched the interstellar medium must have formed and evolved before the globular cluster formed. Neutron capture element production from asymptotic giant branch stars or magneto-rotational instabilities in core-collapse supernovae provide poor fits to the observations. We also report one Phoenix stream star to be a lithium-rich giant ($A(\mathrm{Li}) = 3.1 \pm 0.1$). At $[\mathrm{Fe/H}] = -2.93$ it is among the most metal-poor lithium-rich giants known.

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arXiv2021

SPORK That Spectrum: Increasing Detection Significances from High-Resolution Exoplanet Spectroscopy with Novel Smoothing Algorithms

Spectroscopic studies of planets outside of our own solar system provide some of the most crucial information about their formation, evolution, and atmospheric properties. In ground-based spectroscopy, the process of extracting the planet's signal from the stellar and telluric signal has proven to be the most difficult barrier to accurate atmospheric information. However, with novel normalization and smoothing methods, this barrier can be minimized and the detection significance dramatically increased over existing methods. In this paper, we take two examples of CRIRES emission spectroscopy taken of HD 209458 b and HD 179949 b and apply SPORK (SPectral cOntinuum Refinement for telluriKs) and iterative smoothing to boost the detection significance from 5.78 to 9.71 sigma and from 4.19 sigma to 5.90 sigma, respectively. These methods, which largely address systematic quirks introduced by imperfect detectors or reduction pipelines, can be employed in a wide variety of scenarios, from archival data sets to simulations of future spectrographs.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2021

The Most Metal-poor Stars in the Magellanic Clouds are $r$-process Enhanced

The chemical abundances of a galaxy's metal-poor stellar population can be used to investigate the earliest stages of its formation and chemical evolution. The Magellanic Clouds are the most massive of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies and are thought to have evolved in isolation until their recent accretion by the Milky Way. Unlike the Milky Way's less massive satellites, little is know about the Magellanic Clouds' metal-poor stars. We have used the mid-infrared metal-poor star selection of Schlaufman & Casey (2014) and archival data to target nine LMC and four SMC giants for high-resolution Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy. These nine LMC giants with $-2.4\lesssim[\text{Fe/H}]\lesssim-1.5$ and four SMC giants with $-2.6\lesssim[\text{Fe/H}]\lesssim-2.0$ are the most metal-poor stars in the Magellanic Clouds yet subject to a comprehensive abundance analysis. While we find that at constant metallicity these stars are similar to Milky Way stars in their $α$, light, and iron-peak elemental abundances, both the LMC and SMC are enhanced relative to the Milky Way in the $r$-process element europium. These abundance offsets are highly significant, equivalent to $3.9σ$ for the LMC, $2.7σ$ for the SMC, and $5.0σ$ for the complete Magellanic Cloud sample. We propose that the $r$-process enhancement of the Magellanic Clouds' metal-poor stellar population is a result of the Magellanic Clouds' isolated chemical evolution and long history of accretion from the cosmic web combined with $r$-process nucleosynthesis on a timescale longer than the core-collapse supernova timescale but shorter than or comparable to the thermonuclear (i.e., Type Ia) supernova timescale.

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arXiv2021

VLT Spectroscopy of Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies. 1. Boötes I, Leo IV, Leo V

We perform consistent reductions and measurements for three ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs): Boötes I, Leo IV and Leo V. Using the public archival data from the GIRAFFE spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope (VLT), we locate new members and provide refined measurements of physical parameters for these dwarf galaxies. We identify nine new Leo IV members and four new Leo V members, and perform a comparative analysis of previously discovered members. Additionally, we identify one new binary star in both Leo IV and Leo V. After removing binary stars, we recalculate the velocity dispersions of Boötes I and Leo IV to be 5.1$^{+0.7}_{-0.8}$ and 3.4$^{+1.3}_{-0.9}$ km s$^{-1}$, respectively; We do not resolve the Leo V velocity dispersion. We identify a weak velocity gradient in Leo V that is $\sim$4$\times$ smaller than the previously calculated gradient and that has a corresponding position angle which differs from the literature value by $\sim$120 deg. Combining the VLT data with previous literature, we re-analyze the Boötes I metallicity distribution function and find that a model including infall of pristine gas while Boötes I was forming stars best fits the data. Our analysis of Leo IV, Leo V and other UFDs will enhance our understanding of these enigmatic stellar populations and contribute to future dark matter studies. This is the first in a series of papers examining thirteen UDFs observed with VLT/GIRAFFE between 2009 and 2017. Similar analyses of the remaining ten UFDs will be presented in forthcoming papers.

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arXiv2021

Measuring the Mass of the Large Magellanic Cloud with Stellar Streams Observed by ${S}^5$

Stellar streams are excellent probes of the underlying gravitational potential in which they evolve. In this work, we fit dynamical models to five streams in the Southern Galactic hemisphere, combining observations from the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey (${S}^5$), Gaia EDR3, and the Dark Energy Survey (DES), to measure the mass of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). With an ensemble of streams, we find a mass of the LMC ranging from 14 to $19 \times 10^{10}\ \mathrm{M}_{\odot}$, probed over a range of closest approach times and distances. With the most constraining stream (Orphan-Chenab), we measure an LMC mass of $18.8^{+ 3.5}_{- 4.0} \times 10^{10}\ \mathrm{M}_{\odot}$, probed at a closest approach time of 310 Myr and a closest approach distance of 25.4 kpc. This mass is compatible with previous measurements, showing that a consistent picture is emerging of the LMC's influence on structures in the Milky Way. Using this sample of streams, we find that the LMC's effect depends on the relative orientation of the stream and LMC at their point of closest approach. To better understand this, we present a simple model based on the impulse approximation and we show that the LMC's effect depends both on the magnitude of the velocity kick imparted to the stream and the direction of this kick.

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arXiv2021

Collapsar R-Process Yields Can Reproduce [Eu/Fe] Abundance Scatter in Metal-Poor Stars

It is unclear if neutron star mergers can explain the observed r-process abundances of metal-poor stars. Collapsars, defined here as rotating massive stars whose collapse results in a rapidly accreting disk around a black hole that can launch jets, are a promising alternative. We find that we can produce a self-consistent model in which a population of collapsars with stochastic europium yields synthesizes all of the r-process material in metal-poor ([Fe/H] < -2.5) stars. Our model reproduces the observed scatter and evolution of scatter of [Eu/Fe] abundances. We find that if collapsars are the dominant r-process site for metal-poor stars, r-process synthesis may be linked to supernovae that produce long gamma-ray bursts. Our results also allow for the possibility that core-collapse supernovae beyond those that launch gamma-ray bursts also produce r-process material (e.g., potentially a subset of Type Ic-BL supernovae). Furthermore, we identify collapsar jet properties (isotropic energy, engine luminosity, or engine time) which may trace r-process yield and verify that the amount of r-process yield produced per collapsar in our model (~0.07 Msun) is consistent with other independent estimates. In the future, achieving 0.05 dex precision on distribution scatter or a reliable selection function would further constrain our probe of r-process production. Our model would also hold for another prompt r-process site with a power-law yield, and work is needed to determine if, for example, fast-merging neutron stars can also explain abundance scatter.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Broken into Pieces: ATLAS and Aliqa Uma as One Single Stream

We present the first spectroscopic measurements of the ATLAS and Aliqa Uma streams from the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey ($S^5$), in combination with the photometric data from the Dark Energy Survey and astrometric data from $Gaia$. From the coherence of spectroscopic members in radial velocity and proper motion, we find out that these two systems are extremely likely to be one stream with discontinuity in morphology and density on the sky (the "kink" feature). We refer to this entire stream as the ATLAS-Aliqa Uma stream, or the AAU stream. We perform a comprehensive exploration of the effect of baryonic substructures and find that only an encounter with the Sagittarius dwarf $\sim 0.5$ Gyr ago can create a feature similar to the observed "kink". In addition, we also identify two gaps in the ATLAS component associated with the broadening in the stream width (the "broadening" feature). These gaps have likely been created by small mass perturbers, such as dark matter halos, as the AAU stream is the most distant cold stream known with severe variations in both the stream surface density and the stream track on the sky. With the stream track, stream distance and kinematic information, we determine the orbit of the AAU stream and find that it has been affected by the Large Magellanic Cloud, resulting in a misalignment between the proper motion and stream track. Together with the Orphan-Chenab Stream, AAU is the second stream pair that has been found to be a single stream separated into two segments by external perturbation.

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