arXiv subjects

Dan Qiu

Publications and source records attributed to Dan Qiu.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A Test of FeH Line Parameters using DR19 APOGEE spectra of Benchmark M Dwarfs

Recent studies have suggested a mismatch of up to 0.20 dex between iron abundances derived from Fe I and FeH lines in the H-band spectra of M dwarfs, and in this work we investigate the nature of this possible offset. We analyze near-infrared H-band APOGEE spectra of stars in 18 binaries composed of a G-dwarf primary and an M-dwarf secondary, together with four M-dwarf stars having measured angular diameters from the literature, and six M-dwarf members of the Hyades and Coma Berenices open clusters. These three families of benchmarks were used to evaluate the FeH line list and check for possible systematic uncertainties in the FeH $gf$-values. Our tests used 1-D LTE plane-parallel model atmospheres, a radiative transfer code, and the baseline APOGEE spectral line list to derive metallicities for the binary G-dwarf primaries using Fe I lines, while stellar parameters and metallicities for the M dwarfs used both FeH and Fe I lines. The mean metallicity obtained for the Hyades M-dwarfs was $\langle$[Fe/H]$\rangle$=+0.08$\pm$0.04, and for Coma Berenices $\langle$[Fe/H]$\rangle$=+0.02$\pm$0.08. The metallicities of the G- and M-dwarfs in binary systems showed excellent agreement (0.06 dex), and the mean metallicities for the open clusters were also consistent with literature values from high-resolution optical analyses. We investigated the consistency between the spectroscopic and interferometric $T_{\rm eff}$ scales, finding agreement within the uncertainties. Forcing full agreement between the spectroscopic and interferometric $T_{\rm eff}$ scales resulted in a poorer match for the metallicities in the binaries and the open clusters. We conclude that the best overall concordance is obtained when no adjustments are made to the FeH $gf$-values, which are based on the Hargreaves et al. (2010) line list.

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arXiv2026

Variations in the Milky Way's Stellar Mass Function at [Fe/H] < -1

We present the first determination of the Galactic stellar mass function (MF) for low-mass stars (0.2-0.5 M_sun) at metallicities [Fe/H] < -1. A sample of ~53,000 stars was selected as metal-poor on the basis of both their halo-like orbits and their spectroscopic [Fe/H] from Gaia DR3 BP/RP (XP) spectra. These metallicity estimates for low-mass stars were enabled by calibrating Gaia XP spectra with stellar parameters from SDSS-V. For -1.5 < [Fe/H] < -1, we find that the MF below 0.5 M_sun exhibits a "bottom-heavy" power-law slope of alpha ~ -1.6. We tentatively find that at even lower metallicities, the MF becomes very bottom-light, with a near-flat power-law slope of alpha ~ 0 that implies a severe deficit of low-mass stars. This metallicity-dependent variation is insensitive to the adopted stellar evolution model. These results show that the Galactic low-mass MF is not universal, with variations in the metal-poor regime. A further calibration of XP metallicities in the regime of M < 0.5 M_sun and [Fe/H] < -1.5 will be essential to verify these tentative low-metallicity trends.

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arXiv2025

Stellar Parameters of BOSS M dwarfs in SDSS-V DR19

We utilized the Stellar LAbel Machine (SLAM), a data-driven model based on Support Vector Regression, to derive stellar parameters ([Fe/H], $T_{\rm eff}$, and $\log{g}$) for SDSS-V M dwarfs using low-resolution optical spectra (R$\sim$2000) obtained with the BOSS spectrographs. These parameters are calibrated using LAMOST F, G or K dwarf companions ([Fe/H]), and APOGEE Net ($T_{\rm eff}$ and $\log{g}$), respectively. Comparisons of SLAM predicted [Fe/H] values between two components of M+M dwarfs wide binaries show no bias but with a scatter of 0.11 dex. Further comparisons with two other works, which also calibrated the [Fe/H] of M dwarfs by using the F/G/K companions, reveal biases of -0.06$\pm$0.16 dex and 0.02$\pm$0.14 dex, respectively. The SLAM-derived effective temperatures agree well with the temperature which is calibrated by using interferometric angular diameters (bias: -27$\pm$92 K) and those of the LAMOST (bias: -34$\pm$65 K), but are systematically lower than those from an empirical relationship between the color index and $T_{\rm eff}$ by 146$\pm$45 K. The SLAM surface gravity aligns well with those of LAMOST (bias: -0.01$\pm$0.07 dex) and those derived from the stellar mass and radius (bias: -0.04$\pm$0.09 dex). Finally, we investigated a bias in [Fe/H] between SLAM and APOGEE ASPCAP. It depends on ASPCAP's [Fe/H] and $T_{\rm eff}$, we provide an equation to correct the ASPCAP metallicities.

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arXiv2025

The Initial mass function of field stars with mass $\leq$ 1 $M_{\odot}$ varies with metallicity

We investigated a volume-limited sample of LAMOST main-sequence stars with masses from 0.25 to 1 $M_{\odot}$ and distances of 150-350 pc to explore how the stellar initial mass function (IMF) varies with metallicity. We corrected the spectroscopic selection function by comparing the stellar number densities with the photometric ones at the same colour and magnitude. From these corrected number density distributions, we derived IMFs for each metallicity sub-samples. Fitting a broken power-law function in each IMF with a fixed break point at 0.525 $M_{\odot}$, we found the power-law indices increase with [Fe/H] for both mass regimes: $\alpha_1$ (mass $\leq$ 0.525 $M_{\odot}$) rises from 0.54 $\pm$ 0.21 to 1.40 $\pm$ 0.07 and $\alpha_2$ (mass>0.525 $M_{\odot}$) grows from 1.40 $\pm$ 0.16 to 1.86 $\pm$ 0.04 as [Fe/H] varies from -1 to +0.5 dex. It demonstrates that low-mass stars make up a larger fraction in metal-rich environments than in metal-poor ones. We performed simulations to assess the impact of unresolved binaries on the IMF power-law indices. After correction, the binary-adjusted $\alpha$ values retained a similar metallicity-dependent trend. Furthermore, by examining the IMF of the aggregate sample, we found the corrected indices ($\alpha_{\rm{1,corr}} = 1.48 \pm 0.03$ , $\alpha_{\rm{2,corr}} = 2.17 \pm 0.03$) are consistent with Kroupa's IMF values ($\alpha_1 = 1.3 \pm 0.5$ and $\alpha_2 = 2.3 \pm 0.3$). Finally, we verified the robustness of our results by testing different break points and mass bin sizes, confirming that the IMF's dependence on [Fe/H] remains consistent.

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arXiv2025

CURLING -- III. Identifying Candidates of Wide-separation Gravitationally Lensed Quasars from the CatNorth Catalogue

Wide-separation lensed quasars (WSLQs) are a rare subclass of strongly lensed quasars produced by massive galaxy clusters. They provide valuable probes of dark-matter halos and quasar host galaxies. However, only about ten WSLQ systems are currently known, which limits further studies. To enlarge the sample from wide-area surveys, we developed a catalog-based pipeline and applied it to the CatNorth database, a catalog of quasar candidates constructed from Gaia DR3. CatNorth contains 1,545,514 quasar candidates with about 90% purity and a Gaia G-band limiting magnitude of roughly 21. The pipeline has three stages. First, we identify groups with separations between 10 and 72 arcsec using a HEALPix grid with 25.6 arcsec spacing and a friends-of-friends search. We then filter by intra-group color and spectral similarity, reducing the 1,545,514 sources to 14,244 groups while retaining all known, discoverable WSLQs. Finally, a visual check, guided by image geometry and the presence of likely foreground lenses, yields the candidate list with quality labels. We identify 333 new WSLQ candidates with separations from 10 to 56.8 arcsec. Using available SDSS DR16 and DESI DR1 spectroscopy, we uncover two new candidate systems; the remaining 331 candidates lack sufficient spectra and are labeled as 45 grade A, 98 grade B, and 188 grade C. We also compile 29 confirmed dual quasars as a by-product. When feasible, we plan follow-up spectroscopy and deeper imaging to confirm WSLQs among these candidates and enable the related science.

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arXiv2025

The Initial Mass Function of the Galactic Early-type Field Stars Based on the LAMOST Survey

Research on the high-mass end of the initial mass function (IMF) has been limited due to a scarcity of samples. Recently, Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), as the most efficient spectroscopic telescope, has provided new opportunities for related research. In this study, based on approximately 70,000 main-sequence early-type stars from the LAMOST survey, we investigated the IMF of Galactic field stars at the high-mass end (1.5 < M/Msun < 7.1). First, we derived the slope of the present-day mass function (PDMF), finding after correcting for selection effect in the observed sample. We then accounted for the effects of stellar evolution and unresolved binaries to correct the PDMF back to the IMF, resulting in {\alpha}ini = 2.70 - 2.82. Notably, we corrected both stellar evolution and unresolved binary effects simultaneously by using binary-Star evolution code, which enhances the robustness of our results. Additionally, we investigated how different mass-ratio (q) distributions of binaries and different star formation histories of the Milky Way impact the IMF. Finally, we tested samples across different spatial scales and found that {\alpha}ini may exhibit a decreasing trend as the spatial scale increases, which could be attributed to variations in metallicity.

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arXiv2024

Detailed Mapping of the Galactic Disk Structure in the Solar Neighborhood through LAMOST K Dwarfs

The Galactic disk is one of the main components of the Milky Way, which contributes most of the luminosity. Its structure is essential for understanding the formation and evolution of the Milky Way. Using 174,443 K-type dwarf stars observed by both LAMOST and Gaia DR3, we study the disk density profile in the local volume within 1,200 pc. In the azimuthal dimension, we find strong asymmetric signal of the thin disk. The surface density and the scale height of the southern disk significantly change versus the azimuthal angle at the same galactocentric distance $R$. Meanwhile, in the vertical dimension, the scale height of the northern disk has quite different trend than that of the southern one. The scale height of the southern disk shows a decreasing trend with $\phi\sim-2.5^\circ$, and change to an increasing one with $\phi\sim5.0^\deg$. Meanwhile, the scale height of the northern disk has a consistently smaller increase. Finally, we divide the entire sample into three subsamples based on metallicity and all three subsamples show significant non-axisymmetric and north-south asymmetric signals in the Galactic disk. Furthermore, we find that the scale height of the metal-poor ([Fe/H] $<$ -0.4 dex) subsample in the northern disk is greater than that of the metal-rich ([Fe/H] $>$ -0.1 dex) subsample. However, in the southern disk, the scale height exhibits varying relationships across different metallicity slices.

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arXiv2024

The Stellar "Snake" -- II: The Mass Function

We present a comprehensive investigation on the mass function (MF) of a snake-like stellar structure in the solar neighbourhood, building on our previous discovery. To ensure the reliability of the data, we reselect the member stars of the Stellar ``Snake'' in the latest {\it Gaia} Data Release 3 using the same approach as the initial series of articles. We also precisely measure the physical parameters of the clusters within the Stellar Snake. In light of the high completeness of the member stars in the cluster regions, we develop a simulated model color-magnitude diagram-based inference method to derive the mass function, binary fraction, and mass-ratio distribution of the clusters in the Stellar Snake. Notably, despite their similar ages and metallicity, we discover systematic variations in the MFs along the elongation direction of the Snake in the mass range of 0.5 to 2.0 M$_\odot$. The ``head'' of the Snake conforms to a canonical initial mass function with a power-law slope of $\alpha\sim-2.3$. Extending towards the ``tail,'' the MF becomes more top-light, indicating a deficiency of massive stars within these clusters. This result provides evidence for the delayed formation of massive stars in the clusters. Such clues give support to the hypothesis that the Stellar Snake constitutes as a hierarchically primordial structure.

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arXiv2023

Calibration of metallicity of LAMOST M dwarf stars Using FGK+M wide binaries

Estimating precise metallicity of M dwarfs is a well-known difficult problem due to their complex spectra. In this work, we empirically calibrate the metallicity using wide binaries with a F, G, or K dwarf and a M dwarf companion. With 1308 FGK+M wide binaries well observed by LAMOST, we calibrated M dwarf's [Fe/H] by using the Stellar LAbel Machine (SLAM) model, a data-driven method based on support vector regression (SVR). The [Fe/H] labels of the training data are from FGK companions in range of [-1,0.5] dex. The Teffs are selected from Li et al. (2021), spanning [3100,4400] K. The uncertainties in SLAM estimates of [Fe/H] and Teff are ~0.15 dex and ~40 K, respectively, at snri > 100, where snri is the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at i-band of M dwarf spectra. We applied the trained SLAM model to determine the [Fe/H] and Teff for ~630,000 M dwarfs with low-resolution spectra in LAMOST DR9. Compared to other literature also using FGK+M wide binaries for calibration, our [Fe/H] estimates show no bias but a scatter of ~ 0.14-0.18 dex. However, the [Fe/H] compared to APOGEE shows a systematic difference of ~ 0.10-0.15 dex with a scatter of ~ 0.15-0.20 dex. While the Teff compared to APOGEE has a bias of 3 K with a scatter of 62 K, it is systematically higher by 180 K compared to other calibrations based on the bolometric temperature. Finally, we calculated the zeta index for 1308 M dwarf secondaries and presents a moderate correlation between zeta and [Fe/H].

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arXiv2023

Atmospheric parameters and kinematic information for the M giants stars from LAMOST DR9

A catalog of more than 43,000 M giant stars has been selected by Li et al. from the ninth data release of LAMOST. Using the data-driven method SLAM, we obtain the stellar parameters (Teff, logg, [M/H], [$\alpha$/M]) for all the M giant stars with uncertainties of 57 K, 0.25 dex, 0.16 dex and 0.06 dex at SNR > 100, respectively. With those stellar parameters, we constrain the absolute magnitude in K-band, which brings distance with relative uncertainties around 25% statistically. Radial velocities are also calculated by applying cross correlation on the spectra between 8000 A $\AA$ and 8950 A $\AA$ with synthetic spectra from ATLAS9, which covers the Ca II triplet. Comparison between our radial velocities and those from APOGEE DR17 and Gaia DR3 shows that our radial velocities have a system offset and dispersion around 1 and 4.6 km s$^{-1}$, respectively. With the distances and radial velocities combining with the astrometric data from Gaia DR3, we calculate the full 6D position and velocity information, which are able to be used for further chemo-dynamic studies on the disk and substructures in the halo, especially the Sagittarius Stream.

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arXiv2021

The Stellar "Snake" I: Whole Structure and Properties

To complement our previous discovery of the young snake-like structure in the solar neighborhood and reveal the structure's full extent, we build two samples of stars within the Snake and its surrounding territory from {\tt Gaia EDR3}. With the friends-of-friends algorithm, we identify 2694 and 9615 Snake member candidates from the two samples. Thirteen open clusters are embedded in these member candidates. By combining the spectroscopic data from multiple surveys, we investigate the comprehensive properties of the candidates and find that they \thj{are very likely to} belong to one sizable structure, since most of the components are well bridged in their spatial distributions, and follow a single stellar population with an age of $30-40$\,Myr and solar metallicity. This sizable structure is best explained as hierarchically primordial, and probably formed from a filamentary giant molecular cloud with unique formation history in localized regions. To analyze the dynamics of the Snake, we divide the structure into five groups according to their tangential velocities; we find that the groups are expanding at a coherent rate ($\kappa_X\sim3.0\,\times10^{-2}\,\rm km\,s^{-1}\,pc^{-1}$) along the length of the structure ($X$-direction). \thj{The corresponding expansion age ($\tau\sim33$\,Myr) is highly consistent with the age of the Snake}. With over ten thousand member stars, the Snake is an ideal laboratory to study nearby coeval stellar formation, stellar physics, and environmental evolution over a large spatial extent.

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arXiv2020

Stellar parametrization of LAMOST M dwarf stars

M dwarf stars are the most common stars in the Galaxy, dominating the population of the Galaxy by numbers at faint magnitudes. Precise and accurate stellar parameters for M dwarfs are of crucial importance for many studies. However, the atmospheric parameters of M dwarf stars are difficult to be determined. In this paper, we present a catalog of the spectroscopic stellar parameters ($T_{eff}$ and [M/H]) of $\sim$ 300,000 M dwarf stars observed by both LAMOST and Gaia using Stellar Label Machine (SLAM). We train a SLAM model using LAMOST spectra with APOGEE Data Release 16 (DR16) labels with $2800 \lt T_{eff} \lt 4500$K and $-2 \lt [M/H] \lt 0.5$ dex. The SLAM $T_{eff}$ is in agreement to within $\sim 50$K compared to the previous study determined by APOGEE observation, and SLAM [M/H] agree within 0.12 dex compared to the APOGEE observation. We also set up a SLAM model trained by BT-Settl atmospheric model, with random uncertainties (in cross-validation) to 60K and agree within $\sim 90$K compared to previous study.

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arXiv2020

Precise Ages of Field Stars From White Dwarf Companions in Gaia DR2

We analyze 4\,050 wide binary star systems involving a white dwarf (WD) and usually a main sequence (MS) star, drawn from the large sample assembled by \citet[][hereafter, T20]{Tian_2020}. Using the modeling code BASE-9, we determine the system's ages, the WD progenitors' ZAMS masses, the extinction values ($A_V$), and the distance moduli. Discarding the cases with poor age convergences, we obtain ages for 3\,551 WDs, with a median age precision of $\sigma_{\tau}/\tau = 20$\%, and system ages typically in the range of 1-6 Gyr. We validated these ages against the very few known clusters and through cross-validation of 236 WD-WD binaries. Under the assumption that the components are co-eval in a binary system, this provides precise age constraints on the usually low-mass MS companions, mostly inaccessible by any other means.

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