arXiv subjects

Benjamin F. Williams

Publications and source records attributed to Benjamin F. Williams.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Scylla: Observational Evidence for an Order of Magnitude in Dust Mass Opacity Evolution with ISM Density in the Large Magellanic Cloud

The emissivity of dust is known to vary greatly with radiative environment, density, grain chemistry, and geometry. Discrepancies between dust mass surface densities derived from far-infrared (FIR) emission and visible extinction persist across and within galaxies in the local Universe. Here, we use new extinction and emission measurements towards the LMC to show that this discrepancy is driven by the dust mass opacity evolving with the intrinsic density of the ISM, and that the ratio between FIR and optical dust mass opacity varies with gas surface density. These new findings imply that the dust mass opacity in the FIR could increase by nearly an order of magnitude (e.g., $\kappa_{160} = 0.3 - 6\ m^2\ kg^{-2}$) across over an order of magnitude of total hydrogen surface density $(\Sigma_H = 4 - 100 M_{\odot}\ pc^{-2})$, corroborating previous theoretical models for dust mass opacity evolution in the FIR, and providing new implications for emission-based dust mass estimates.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

Automated Computer Vision Cluster Identification in the Fireworks Galaxy

We present the integrated photometry, radii, and spatial distribution of young ($\leq$ 25 Myr) star cluster candidates in NGC 6946. NGC 6946, also known as the Fireworks Galaxy, is a highly star-forming galaxy with numerous young massive clusters. We have developed a modified computer vision algorithm using photometry from images taken with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 Ultraviolet channel (WFC3/UVIS) F275W and F336W filters to identify and outline candidate clusters. We describe our technique in detail, including extensive testing with artificial clusters, where the algorithm recovers 60.7% of synthetic clusters and has a conservative false positive rate of 27.3% down to luminosities of M$_{F336W} \sim -6$. We identify 6410 cluster candidates down to much fainter magnitudes (M$_{F336W} \sim -4$) via the aforementioned algorithm which are more difficult to verify, but are still of interest as the luminosity function of these candidates is consistent with a standard power law with a slope of $\sim$2.

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arXiv2026

The Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Southern Treasury (PHAST). II. The Spatially Resolved Recent Star Formation History in M31

We use Hubble Space Telescope optical imaging from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Southern Treasury (PHAST) to measure the spatially resolved recent star formation history (SFH) across the southern disk of M31. We fit color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of over 6500 individual 0.01 kpc$^2$ regions to measure SFHs over the last $\sim$500 Myr. The resulting maps show coherent structure that traces the ringed morphology of the disk. We find a clear global decline in the recent SFR, with a pronounced drop in the last $\sim$40 Myr that is most evident in the region closest to M32. Combining PHAST and PHAT measurements, we now cover two thirds of M31's star-forming disk with homogeneous SFHs, yielding the highest-resolution spatially resolved SFHs of M31. Inside the joint footprint, we measure mean SFRs of $0.445 \pm0.006$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ over the last 100 Myr and $0.285 \pm 0.014$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ over the last 20 Myr, implying total disk SFRs of $\sim$0.67 and $\sim$0.43 M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$, respectively. The observed decline is interpreted as the late stage of a multi-Gyr wind-down from a previously more active state. Because recent star formation in M31 is concentrated primarily in the rings, the global decline is driven mainly by decreasing activity within those features. We also compare the CMD-based SFR surface densities to those inferred from FUV+24 $\mu$m prescriptions and find that the FUV-based calibration underestimates the CMD-based 100 Myr average by a factor of $\sim$2.1. However, the PHAST SFHs produce a synthetic GALEX FUV image that agrees well with observations, indicating that the CMD-derived SFHs provide an accurate description of recent star formation. The mismatch with the FUV+24 $\mu$m estimates underscores that tracers implicitly averaged over $\sim$100 Myr are not reliable when the recent SFR is evolving.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

Scylla VI: Parsec-Scale Dust Extinction Maps in the SMC and LMC

We present a novel methodology for mapping dust extinction in nearby galaxies at parsec-scale resolution. We apply it to HST 68 fields within the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (23 fields in the SMC and 45 fields in the LMC) using multi-band HST photometry from the Scylla and METAL surveys. Our technique leverages \textit{kriging}, a geostatistical interpolation method built on the principles of Gaussian Process regression, combined with Gaussian mixture modeling to statistically isolate background stellar sources and account for line-of-sight depth effects. 3D dust simulations demonstrate the method's capability to recover column densities to an accuracy of $A_V \approx 0.1$ mag in fields with at least 1000 sources. The resulting $4^{\prime\prime}$ resolution ($\sim1$-pc) dust maps reveal detailed structure and strong spatial correlation with ancillary ISM tracers, especially in star-forming regions like 30 Doradus. Global extinction of total column densities follows log-normal profiles in both galaxies, with the SMC exhibiting slightly higher mean extinction ($e^{\mu}=0.47$ mag) than the broader LMC ($e^{\mu}=0.43$ mag), likely due to significant line-of-sight depths. We find systematic offsets between dust mass surface densities ($\Sigma_{D}$) derived from extinction versus FIR emission in both galaxies, with $\Sigma_{D, FIR}/\Sigma_{D, A_V}$ ratios ranging from $0.6-1.8$. This work provides the highest-resolution dust extinction maps in SMC and LMC to date, which offer a vital independent benchmark for constraining dust emissivity, $\text{CO}$-dark gas fractions, and the multi-scale structure of the ISM in low-metallicity environments.

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arXiv2026

Scylla at APOGEE: The Impact of Starbursts on the Chemical Evolution of the Magellanic Clouds

Owing to their proximity to the Milky Way, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (L/SMC) uniquely probe the evolution of low-mass galaxies undergoing mutual interactions. In this work, we investigate the connection between the star formation histories (SFHs) of the L/SMC measured from HST imaging in the Scylla survey and APOGEE chemical abundances. We model the chemical evolution of the L/SMC in the [Mg/Fe]-[Fe/H] plane within a robust statistical framework to predict chemical abundance signatures resulting directly from starbursts in Scylla SFHs. Both the L/SMC rapidly enrich to high metallicity ([Fe/H] $\gtrsim$ $-1$) within 3 Gyr, followed by slower chemical evolution regulated by sequential starbursts, where the SMC may require higher Fe yields from Type Ia supernovae than the LMC. We also model the [Mg/Fe]-[Fe/H] plane to infer starburst properties across distinct spatial regions in the L/SMC. We identify dominant starbursts in the L/SMC with broadly similar timing, though the SMC may host an earlier burst, and larger burst strength in the LMC. The global starburst properties are nearly uniform across the LMC disk, whereas the dominant SMC population experiences a stronger and later-onset burst in its eastern wing compared to the main body. We also find evidence for a chemically distinct secondary population in the SMC that preferentially traces the foreground and may originate from the LMC. We discuss the implications of these results for the evolutionary history of the L/SMC and for starbursts in interacting low-mass galaxy pairs.

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arXiv2026

Unveiling Massive Main-Sequence Stars in Sextans A through Panchromatic Photometry

We present a study of the metal-poor (~6% Z_sun) massive (>8 M_sun) main-sequence star population in the star-forming dwarf galaxy Sextans A. By modeling near-UV to near-IR photometry of individual stars using the Bayesian Extinction and Stellar Tool (BEAST) we infer stellar parameters such as effective temperature, luminosity, and initial mass. We identify 867 massive main-sequence star candidates (present-day mass >8 M_sun and surface gravity >3.7 dex [cgs]) with a plausible spectral energy distribution (SED) fit, 500 of which show a probable SED fit. Comparisons to spectral types of existing observed spectra are consistent with the BEAST-derived stellar parameters, with most discrepancies explained. We identify 292 OBe star candidates through IR photometric signatures and find lower-limit OBe fractions of 15% for M > 8 M_sun, 23% for M > 15 M_sun, and 17% for M > 20 M_sun. We find 57 OB associations and that 24-28% of massive stars are isolated (distance to nearest massive star >28 pc). We discuss six likely runaway candidates (suggested velocities of ~ 50-340 km/s) not clearly associated with any major star-forming complexes. Lastly, we predict Lyman continuum (LyC) escape fractions of f_esc=0.27-0.76 across the star-forming regions and a global value of 0.35-0.71 by assuming low overall extinction and a range of porous geometries, indicating efficient leakage of ionizing photons. Future spectroscopic follow-up and resolved ISM studies will refine these constraints and solidify Sextans A as a benchmark for studying massive-star evolution and feedback at extremely low metallicity.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program. IX. The RR Lyrae Population in WLM with HST and JWST

RR Lyrae stars are a common, dependable Population II distance indicator, and provide an independent tracer of early star formation. Here, we utilize archival HST/ACS and JWST/NIRCam observations of the nearby dwarf star-forming galaxy WLM to study RR Lyrae in JWST filters. We independently identify RR Lyrae in HST and JWST imaging in order to evaluate JWST's efficacy at characterizing RR Lyrae in the near-IR. We use an MCMC template-fitting technique to obtain periods, amplitudes, and mean magnitudes from the RR Lyrae time-series data. The spatially overlapping HST and JWST observations allow us to directly compare the same sources observed with the instruments, and calibrate the NIRCam F090W and F150W RR Lyrae period-Wesenheit-metallicity (PWZ) relation to the Gaia-consistent HST PWZ. We additionally assess the epoch-to-epoch consistency of NIRCam photometry, and find evidence of burn-in. We conclude that the zero-point offset is negligible compared to the uncertainties from the template fitting. We conduct an MCMC fit of the PWZ with both HST and JWST data. Our results are three-fold. First, we find that we can reliably identify RR Lyrae in NIRCam data, but light-curve template fitting proves difficult on short-baseline observations. Second, the HST PWZ fit yields a distance modulus to WLM of $\mu = 24.85\pm0.05$ ($0.93\pm0.02$ Mpc). This is closer than previous measurements, primarily attributed to consistency with the Gaia scale. Lastly, although the JWST PWZ fit has large uncertainties and a poorly-constrained slope, it represents a first-of-its-kind PWZ calibration in NIRCam filters.

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arXiv2025

JWST Captures Growth of Aromatic Hydrocarbon Dust Particles in the Extremely Metal-poor Galaxy Sextans A

The mid-infrared spectrum of star-forming, high metallicity galaxies is dominated by emission features from aromatic and aliphatic bonds in small carbonaceous dust grains, often referred to as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In metal-poor galaxies, the abundance of PAHs relative to the total dust sharply declines, but the origin of this deficit is unknown. We present JWST observations that detect and resolve emission from PAHs in the 7% Solar metallicity galaxy Sextans A, representing the lowest metallicity detection of PAH emission to date. In contrast to higher metallicity galaxies, the clumps of PAH emission are compact (0.5-1.5'' or 3-10 pc), which explains why PAH emission evaded detection by lower resolution instruments like Spitzer. Ratios between the 3.3, 7.7, and 11.3 $\mu$m PAH features indicate that the PAH grains in Sextans A are small and neutral, with no evidence of significant processing from the hard radiation fields within the galaxy. These results favor inhibited grain growth over enhanced destruction as the origin of the low PAH abundance in Sextans A. The compact clumps of PAH emission are likely active sites of in-situ PAH growth within a dense, well-shielded phase of the interstellar medium. Our results show that PAHs can form and survive in extremely metal-poor environments common early in the evolution of the Universe.

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arXiv2025

Scylla V: Constraints on the spatial and temporal distribution of bursts and the interaction history of the Magellanic Clouds from their resolved stellar populations

We measure the star formation histories (SFHs) from the Scylla survey in approximately 98,000 pc^2 and 75,000 pc^2 of the SMC and LMC, respectively, using deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging (80% complete to more than 1 mag below the ancient main-sequence turnoff, 25.1 and 26.0 mag in F475W and F814W) from 74 pointings. We group the fields into eight sub-regions in the SMC and seven in the LMC. We use the birth rate parameter to identify bursts of star formation and measure their properties in each sub-region. Our methodology provides a standardized framework for burst identification and reveals both broad and fine burst characteristics. We identify global and local bursts, defined as those occurring in at least half or less than half of a galaxy's sub-regions, respectively. In the SMC we find two global (about 5 and 1.5 Gyr ago) and one local burst (about 3 Gyr ago). In the LMC we find one global burst (about 3 Gyr ago). Comparing these findings with dynamical models of the LMC and SMC orbital histories, we find that when models predict a shared dynamical trigger for bursts across both galaxies, the burst begins earlier in the SMC with a greater enhancement in star formation rate than in the LMC. Finally, using age-metallicity relations (AMRs) and cumulative SFHs, we report that the Wing/Bridge region in the SMC resembles the southwestern LMC both chemically and in stellar mass assembly over the last about 7 Gyr, possibly due to stellar material stripped from the LMC during their last interaction.

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arXiv2025

The Timescales of Embedded Star Formation as Observed in STARFORGE

Star formation occurs within dusty molecular clouds that are then disrupted by stellar feedback. However, the timing and physical mechanisms that govern the transition from deeply embedded to exposed stars remain uncertain. Using the STARFORGE simulations, we analyze the evolution of ``embeddedness'', identifying what drives emergence. We find the transition from embedded to exposed is fast for individual stars, within 1.3 Myr after the star reaches its maximum mass. This rapid transition is dominated by massive stars, which accrete while remaining highly obscured until their feedback eventually balances, then overcomes, the local accretion. For these massive stars, their maximum mass is reached simultaneously with their emergence. Once these stars are revealed, their localized, pre-supernova feedback then impacts the cloud, driving gas clearance. Because massive stars dominate the luminosity, their fast, local evolution dominates the light emergence from the dust. We calculate the dependence of these processes on the mass of the cloud and find that emergence always depends on when massive stars form, which scales with the cloud's free-fall time. We also measure the evolution of dust and H$\alpha$ luminosities, where for $\sim$2 Myr, these tracers outshine the emerging stellar continuum, reaching their peak when gas and dust remain tightly coupled to the massive stars. These results closely resemble observationally observed lifetimes, tying the observable dust and line emission directly to the same localized processes that drive stellar emergence, evidence that our simulated de-embedding physics is representative of real star-forming regions. Thus, because the initial embedding of the most luminous stars is highly local, the emergence of stars is a faster, earlier, more local event than the overall disruption of the cloud by gas expulsion.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Chandra Large Project Observations of the Supernova Remnant N132D: Measuring the Expansion of the Forward Shock

We present results from the Chandra X-ray Observatory Large Project (878 ks in 28 observations) of the Large Magellanic Cloud supernova remnant N132D. We measure the expansion of the forward shock in the bright southern rim to be $0.\!^{\prime\prime}10 \pm 0.\!^{\prime\prime}02$ over the $\sim14.5$ yr baseline, which corresponds to a velocity of $1620\pm400~\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$ after accounting for several instrumental effects. We measure an expansion of $0.\!^{\prime\prime}23 \pm 0.\!^{\prime\prime}02$ and a shock velocity of $3840\pm260~\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$ for two features in an apparent blowout region in the northeast. The emission-measure-weighted average temperature inferred from X-ray spectral fits to regions in the southern rim is $0.95\pm0.17$ keV, consistent with the electron temperature implied by the shock velocity after accounting for Coulomb equilibration and adiabatic expansion. In contrast, the emission-measure-weighted average temperature for the northeast region is $0.77\pm0.04$ keV, which is significantly lower than the value inferred from the shock velocity. We fit 1-D evolutionary models for the shock in the southern rim and northeast region, using the measured radius and propagation velocity into a constant density and power-law profile circumstellar medium. We find good agreement with the age of $\sim2500$ years derived from optical expansion measurements for explosion energies of $1.5-3.0 \times 10^{51}\,\mathrm{erg}$, ejecta masses of $2-6 \,\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$ and ambient medium densities of $\sim0.33-0.66$ $\mathrm{amu~cm}^{-3}$ in the south and $\sim0.01-0.02$ $\mathrm{amu~cm}^{-3}$ in the northeast assuming a constant density medium. These results are consistent with previous studies that suggested the progenitor of N132D was an energetic supernova that exploded into a pre-existing cavity.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

The Hubble Arp Galaxy Survey

The typical galaxy in the local universe is expected to be in a self-regulated quasi-equilibrium, displaying a settled morphology that falls within the Hubble Sequence. The Arp and Arp-Madore catalogs are filled with striking examples of galaxies that defy these expectations, making them useful targets for studying the astrophysics that controls dramatic, but short-lived, episodes of disequilibrium that mark galaxies' evolution. In this paper, we greatly expand the available Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of galaxies drawn from the Arp and Arp-Madore catalogs. We present new optical F606W images and point-source photometry for 216 systems, whose sizes are well-matched to the Advanced Camera for Surveys' (ACS) wide field of view. Essentially none of the sample had been previously observed with Hubble. The resulting images display rich morphologies, revealing a variety of massive stars, HII regions, stellar clusters, dust lanes, tidal tails, backlit galaxies, and occasional chance superpositions. We provide a pedagogical guide for interpreting highly-resolved optical galaxy images, which has general application beyond this atlas. The atlas images also provide a superb starting point for more detailed studies with high-resolution imaging in other wavelengths, and spectroscopy to track kinematics and the interstellar medium (ISM). Areas of obvious scientific relevance include feedback and star formation in merging and interacting galaxies, resolved stellar populations at the extremes of stellar density, the properties of young massive stars and stellar clusters, the physics of the cold ISM and dust, and stellar and gas dynamics.

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arXiv2025

HST Deep Upper Limits Rule Out a Surviving Massive Binary Companion to the Type Ic Supernova 2012fh

Current explanations of the mass-loss mechanism for stripped-envelope supernovae remain divided between single and binary progenitor systems. Here we obtain deep ultraviolet (UV) imaging with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) of the Type Ic SN 2012fh to search for the presence of a surviving companion star to the progenitor. We synthesize these observations with archival HST imaging, ground-based spectroscopy, and previous analyses from the literature to provide three independent constraints on the progenitor system. We fit the color-magnitude diagram of the surrounding population to constrain the most likely age of the system to be $<20$ Myr. Analysis of spectra of SN 2012fh provide an estimate of the He core mass of the progenitor star, $>5.6$ M$_{\odot}$. We analyze deep HST images at the precise location after the SN faded to constrain the luminosity of any remaining main-sequence binary companion to be $\log(L/L_{\odot}) \lesssim 3.35$. Combining observational constraints with current binary population synthesis models excludes the presence of a faint stellar companion to SN 2012fh at the $\lesssim10\%$ level. The progenitor was therefore either effectively isolated at the time of explosion or orbited by a black-hole companion. The latter scenario dominates if we only consider models that produce successful supernovae.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

The Star Formation History and Evolution of the Ultra-Diffuse M81 Satellite F8D1

We present deep HST imaging of one of the nearest ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) outside of the Local Group: F8D1, a satellite of M81 known to be tidally disrupting. UDGs are an enigmatic and diverse population, with evolutionary pathways ranging from tidal processing to bursty feedback and high initial angular momentum. To determine F8D1's evolutionary drivers, we resolve stars in F8D1's central $\sim$1 kpc and in a parallel field $\sim$6 kpc along its major axis to deep photometric limits, reaching below the Red Clump. We also image eight shallower fields along F8D1's major and minor axes. We calculate the star formation history (SFH) in the two deep fields, finding that while currently quiescent, both regions experienced a substantial burst $\sim$2 Gyr ago and a smaller burst $\sim$500 Myr ago, which likely formed F8D1's nuclear star cluster. In the shallow fields, using the ratio of evolved Asymptotic Giant Branch and Red Giant Branch stars out to $\sim$13 kpc along F8D1's known stellar stream, we confirm that F8D1 was globally star-forming until at least $\sim$2 Gyr ago. We estimate a total progenitor stellar mass, including the stream, of $\sim$1.3$\times$10$^8 M_{\odot}$, with an average [M/H] $\sim$ $-$0.8. We compare F8D1's properties to those of Local Group galaxies with similar initial stellar mass. We find that F8D1 is consistent with a progenitor star-forming galaxy similar to NGC 6822 that is in the midst of a transition to a Sagittarius-like system. Notably, this evolutionary sequence can be accomplished through tidal processing alone in galaxies that have experienced sufficiently bursty feedback to have created cored profiles.

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arXiv2025

Resolving Individual Stars in Nearby Large Galaxies with the Habitable Worlds Observatory

The varied and dynamic evolutionary histories of galaxies give rise to the stunning diversity in their properties that we observe in the present-day universe. HST, and now JWST, have pioneered the study of resolved individual stars in the Milky Way and other members of the Local Group, uncovering the drivers of their morphological, star formation, and chemical evolution. HWO will constitute a paradigm shift: introducing the ability to panchromatically resolve the main bodies of every galaxy in the Local Volume into their constituent stars. In this science case, we summarize the breakthrough progress that HWO will advance in the field of galaxy evolution through resolved stellar populations. HWO will transform our understanding of galaxies in three distance regimes: (1) in the nearest galaxies ($\sim$5 Mpc), where it will resolve stars below the oldest Main Sequence Turnoff, enabling precision stellar astrophysics and star formation history (SFH) inferences to the earliest cosmic times; (2) in the greater Local Volume ($\sim$20 Mpc), where it will resolve stars below the Red Clump, providing access to accurate SFHs for hundreds of galaxies, spanning the entire Hubble Sequence; and (3) out to cosmological volumes ($\sim$50+ Mpc), providing access to the luminous stellar populations in thousands of galaxies, enabling unprecedented views of their morphology, stellar abundances, and dust content. The principal technological requirement advanced by this science case is a camera with a resolution of $\leqslant$0.015'' that is diffraction-limited, and Nyquist-sampled (0.01'' per pixel), to at least 550 nm $-$ comparable to the High Definition Imager from the LUVOIR concept.

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arXiv2025

Project AMIGA: The Inner Circumgalactic Medium of Andromeda from Thick Disk to Halo

The inner circumgalactic medium (CGM) of galaxies, where disk and halo processes intersect, remains poorly characterized despite its critical role in regulating galaxy evolution. We present results from Project AMIGA Insider, mapping Andromeda's (M31) inner CGM within 0.25 R_vir (~75 kpc) using 11 QSO sightlines, bringing our total sample to 54 sightlines from the disk to 2 R_vir. We detect a clear transition between M31's thick disk and CGM at R < 30 kpc, where low/intermediate ions show thick-disk corotating components with higher column densities than the CGM ones, while high ions exhibit similar column densities in both the CGM and thick disk. Beyond this region, all ion column densities decrease with impact parameter, with steeper gradients for low ions than high ions. The inner CGM (R < 100 kpc) shows more complex gas phases and multi-component absorption compared to the predominantly single-component outer CGM. We find no significant azimuthal dependence for any observed ions, suggesting M31's CGM is shaped by radial processes (e.g., cooling flows, precipitation) rather than disk-aligned outflows. We estimate the total metal mass in M31's cool (SiII, SiIII, SiIV) CGM within R_vir to be (1.9+/-0.3_stat+/-0.7_sys)x10^7 M_sun, leading to a cool gas mass of approximately 6x10^9 (Z/0.3 Z_sun)^-1 M_sun. The warmer OVI gas may contain at least 10 times more metal and gas mass. Compared to the COS-Halos L* galaxies, M31's cool CGM shows lower Si column densities at R < 0.4 R_200 and lower cool CGM masses, possibly resulting from M31's higher halo mass or different environments.

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arXiv2025

The HST Legacy Archival Uniform Reduction of Local Group Imaging (LAURELIN). I. Photometry and Star Formation Histories for 36 Ultra-faint Dwarf Galaxies

We present uniformly measured resolved stellar photometry and star formation histories (SFHs) for 36 nearby ($\lesssim$ 400 kpc) ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs; $-7.1 \le M_V \le +0.0$) from new and archival HST imaging. We measure homogeneous distances to all systems via isochrone fitting and find good agreement ($\le$ 2%) for the 18 UFDs that have literature RR Lyrae distances. From the ensemble of SFHs, we find: (i) an average quenching time (here defined as the lookback time by which 80% of the stellar mass formed, $\tau_{80}$) of 12.48 $\pm$ 0.18 Gyr ago ($z = 4.6_{-0.5}^{+0.6}$), which is compatible with reionization-based quenching scenarios; and (ii) modest evidence of a delay ($\lesssim$ 800 Myr) in quenching times of UFDs thought to be satellites of the LMC or on their first infall, relative to long-term Galactic satellites, which is consistent with previous findings. We show that robust SFH measurement via the ancient main sequence turnoff (MSTO) requires a minimum effective luminosity (i.e., luminosity within the observed field of view) of $M_V \leq -2.5$, which corresponds to $\sim$100 stars around the MSTO. We also find that increasing the S/N above $\sim$100 at the MSTO does not improve SFH precision, which remains dominated by stochastic effects associated with the number of available stars. A main challenge driving the precision of UFD SFHs is limitations in the accuracy of foreground dust maps. We make all photometry catalogs public as the first data release of a larger HST archival program targeting all dwarf galaxies within $\sim$1.3 Mpc.

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arXiv2025

Discovery of a Weak CN Spectral Absorption Feature in Red Supergiant Stars in the Andromeda (M31) and Triangulum (M33) Galaxies

Using Keck DEIMOS spectra of stars in the Andromeda (M31) and Triangulum (M33) galaxies, selected from the large multi-band (near ultraviolet, visible light, and near infrared) Hubble Space Telescope surveys PHAT and PHATTER, respectively, we have identified a subset of stars that contain a previously unnoticed weak spectral absorption feature around 8000 Angstrom (0.8 micron). This absorption feature appears to be associated with the cyanogen (CN) molecule. Strong CN spectral absorption is a standard feature of carbon stars, which are thought to be intermediate mass (2-3 ~ M_sun) stars with C/O > 1 in the thermally-pulsating asymptotic giant branch phase of stellar evolution. However, the stars that are the focus of this paper are characterized by a weak version of this CN spectral absorption feature in a spectrum that is otherwise dominated by normal O-rich spectral absorption lines such as TiO and/or the Ca near infrared triplet. We have dubbed these stars "weak CN" stars. We present an automated method for identifying weak CN stars in M31 and M33, and examine their photometric properties in relation to model isochrones and stellar tracks. We find that weak CN stars tend to be fairly localized in color-magnitude space, and appear to be red supergiant stars with masses ranging from 5-10 M_sun, overall lifetimes of about 40-50 Myr, and currently in the core He burning phase of stellar evolution.

astro-ph.SR↗