arXiv subjects

E. Pancino

Publications and source records attributed to E. Pancino.

192 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

arXiv2003

Building up the Galactic Halo: The Sagittarius dSph and the globular cluster M22

The Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal (Sgr) and a few paculiar Galactic Globular Clusters (GGC) can be considered as building blocks of theGalactic Halo. We present a series of results based on a wide field photometry of the Sgr system and the GGC M22. In particular for Sgr we present: (1) the detection of the RGB-bump, a feature that together with the shape of the RGB can be used to constrain the allowed range of age and metallicity and (2) the detection of a clear blue horizontal branch which probes the existance of a metal poor population. In the case of M22 we present clear evidence that differential reddening is the primary cause for the observed spread of the evolutionary sequences.

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arXiv2003

A near-infrared spectroscopic screening of the red giant populations in omega Centauri

Near-infrared spectra of 21 giants in omega Centauri, spanning the whole range of metallicities observed in this cluster, are presented. This work is part of a coordinated photometric and spectroscopic campaign in the optical and in the infrared, aimed at studying the complex stellar population of omega Centauri and understanding its formation and chemical evolution. By analyzing the several CO and OH molecular bands and atomic lines in the spectra of the selected giants, metal abundances and abundance ratios have been obtained. The existence of three major metallicity regimes at [Fe/H]=-1.6, -1.2 and [Fe/H]<-0.5 has been confirmed. The most metal-rich stars in our sample show a lower (if any) alpha-enhancement when compared to the more metal-poor components, suggesting that they should have formed in a medium significantly polluted by type Ia supernova ejecta. Isotopic carbon abundances have been also inferred, providing an average 13C/12C=4, which clearly indicates that extra-mixing processes occurred in the stellar interiors during the ascent on the Red Giant Branch.

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arXiv2002

The Draco and Ursa Minor dwarf spheroidals. A comparative study

We present (V,I) photometry of two wide (~25 X 25 arcmin^2) fields centered on the low surface brightness dwarf spheroidal galaxies Draco and Ursa Minor. New estimates of the distance to these galaxies are provided ((m-M)_0(UMi)=19.41 \pm 0.12 and (m-M)_0(Dra)=19.84 \pm 0.14) and a comparative study of their evolved stellar population is presented. We detect for the first time the RGB-bump in the Luminosity Function of UMi (V_{RGB}^{Bump}=19.40\pm 0.06) while the feature is not detected in Draco. Photometric metallicity distributions are obtained for the two galaxies and an accurate analysis to determine the intrinsic metallicity spread is performed by means of artificial stars experiments. (Abridged) We demonstrate that the inner region of UMi is significantly structured, at odds with what expected for a system in dynamical equilibrium. In particular we show that the main density peak of UMi is off-centered with respect to the center of symmetry of the whole galaxy and it shows a much lower ellipticity with respect to the rest of the galaxy. Moreover, UMi stars are shown to be clustered according to two different characteristic clustering scales, as opposite to Draco, which instead has a very symmetric and smooth density profile. The possible consequences of this striking structural difference on our ideas about galaxy formation are briefly discussed. Combining our distance modulus with the more recent estimates of the total luminosity of UMi, we find that the mass to light (M/L) ratio of this galaxy may be as low as M/L ~ 7, a factor 5-10 lower than current estimates.

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arXiv2002

First detection of the RGB-bump in the Sagittarius dSph

We present V, I photometry of the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal galaxy (Sgr) for a region of ~ 1^{circ} times 1^{circ}, centered on the globular cluster M 54. This catalog is the largest database of stars (~500,000) ever obtained for this galaxy. The wide area covered allows us to measure for the first time the position of the RGB-bump, a feature that has been identified in most Galactic globular clusters and only recently in a few galaxies of the Local Group. The presence of a single-peaked bump in the RGB differential Luminosity Function confirms that there is a dominant population in Sgr (Pop A). The photometric properties of the Pop A RGB and the position of the RGB bump have been used to constrain the range of possible ages and metallicities of this population. The most likely solution lies in the range -0.6 < [M/H] <= -0.4 and 4 Gyr <= age <= 8 Gyr.

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arXiv2002

Discovery of an accreted stellar system within the globular cluster omega Centauri

Recent wide-field photometric surveys (Lee et al.; Pancino et al.) have shown the existence of a previously unknown metal-rich ([Fe/H] -0.6) stellar population in the galactic globular cluster omega Centauri. The discovery of this new component, which comprises only a small percentage (~5%) of the entire cluster population, has added a new piece to the already puzzling picture of the star formation and chemical evolution of this stellar system. In this Letter we show that stars belonging to the newly discovered metal-rich population have a coherent bulk motion with respect to the other cluster stars, thus demonstrating that they formed in an independent self-gravitating stellar system. This is the first clear-cut evidence that extreme metal-rich stars were part of a small stellar system (a satellite of omega Centauri?) that has been accreted by the main body of the cluster. In this case, we are witnessing an in vivo example of hierarchical merging on the sub-galactic scale.

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arXiv2002

High resolution spectroscopy of metal rich giants in omega Cen: first indication of SNe Ia enrichment

We have obtained high-resolution, high S/N spectra for six red giants in omega Cen: three belonging to the recently discovered, metal-rich Red Giant Branch (RGB-a, Pancino et al. 2000) and three to the metal intermediate population (RGB-MInt). Accurate Iron, Copper and alpha-elements (Ca and Si) abundances have been derived and discussed. In particular, we have obtained the first direct abundance determination based on high-resolution spectroscopy for the RGB-a population, <[Fe/H]>=-0.60+/-0.15. Although this value is lower than previous estimates based on Calcium triplet measurements, we confirm that this population is the most metal rich in omega Cen. In addition, we have found a significant difference in the alpha-elements enhancement of the two populations. The three RGB-MInt stars have the expected overabundance, typical of halo and globular clusters stars: <[alpha/Fe]>=+0.29+/-0.01. The three RGB-a stars show, instead, a significantly lower alpha-enhancement: <[alpha/Fe]>=+0.10+/-0.04. We have also detected an increasing trend of [Cu/Fe] with metallicity, similar to the one observed for field stars by Sneden et al. (1991). The observational facts presented in this letter, if confirmed by larger samples of giants, are the first indication that supernovae type Ia ejecta have contaminated the medium from which the metal rich RGB-a stars have formed. The implications for current scenarios on the formation and evolution of omega Cen are briefly discussed.

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arXiv2001

The Bologna Key Project on Omega Cen

In this contribution we schematically summarize a number of ongoing, coordinated spectro-photometric projects devoted to the study of the stellar population properties in Omega Cen. All of these investigations are part of a global comprehensive project led by our team to address the complex formation history of stars in this cluster.

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arXiv2001

Wide Field Imaging of the Sextans Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

We present wide field multiband photometry of the very low surface brightness dwarf Spheroidal galaxy (dSph) Sextans. We have found convincing evidence for the presence of multiple stellar populations in this galaxy. In particular we discovered: (a) a Blue Horizontal Branch tail kinked over the instability strip; (b) a clearly bimodal distribution in color of the Red Giant Branch (RGB) stars and (c) a double RGB-bump. All these features suggest that (at least) two components are present in the old stellar population that dominates the galaxy: a main one with [Fe/H]~-1.8 and a minor component around [Fe/H]~-2.5. Similar evidence has been recently found by Majewski et al. (1999) for the Sculptor dwarf Spheroidal, suggesting that multiple star formation episodes are common also in the most nearby dSphs that ceased their star formation activity at very early epochs.

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arXiv2001

Multiple stellar population in the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy?

We present wide field (33 X 34 arcmin^2) multiband (BVI) CCD photometry (down to I <= 20.5) of the very low surface brightness dwarf Spheroidal (dSph) galaxy Sextans. In the derived Color Magnitude Diagrams we have found evidences suggesting the presence of multiple stellar populations in this dSph. In particular we discovered: {\it (i)} a Blue Horizontal Branch (HB) tail that appears to lie on a brighter sequence with respect to the prominent Red HB and the RR Lyrae stars, very similar to what found by Majewski et al. (1999) for the Sculptor dSph; {\it (ii)} hints of a bimodal distribution in color of the RGB stars; {\it (iii)} a double RGB-bump. All these features suggest that (at least) two components are present in the old stellar population of this galaxy: a main one with [Fe/H]~ -1.8 and a minor component around [Fe/H]<~ -2.3. The similarity with the Sculptor case may indicate that multiple star formation episodes are common also in the most nearby dSphs that ceased their star formation activity at very early epochs.

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arXiv2001

A step toward the calibration of the RGB Tip as a Standard Candle

The absolute I magnitude of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch M_I(TRGB) is one of the most promising Standard Candles actually used in astrophysics as a fundamental pillar for the Cosmological Distance Scale. With the aim of improving the observational basis of its calibration, we have obtained an accurate estimate of the M_I(TRGB) for the globular cluster Omega Centauri, based (a) on the largest photometric database ever assembled for a globular, by Pancino et al.(2000), and (b) on a direct distance estimate for Omega Cen, recently obtained by Thompson et al.(2001) from a detached eclipsing binary. The derived value M_I(TRGB) =-4.04\pm 0.12 provides, at present, the most accurate empirical zero-point for the calibration of the M_I(TRGB) - [Fe/H] relation, at [Fe/H] ~ -1.7. We also derived a new empirical M_I(TRGB) - [Fe/H] relation, based on the large IR dataset of red giants in Galactic Globular Clusters recently presented by Ferraro et al.(2000). This database (extending up to [Fe/H]=-0.2) covers a more appropriate metallicity range, for extragalactic applications, than previous empirical calibrations (limited to [Fe/H]<= -0.7). The proposed relation is in excellent agreement with the newly determined zero-point.

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arXiv2000

New evidence for the complex struscture of the RGB of Omega Cen

We report on the complex structure of the red giant branch (RGB) of omega Cen, based on a new wide field and wide color baseline B and I photometry. Our color magnitude diagram (CMD) shows the presence of multiple populations along this branch, in particular we discovered an anomalous branch (RGB-a), which appears to be well separated from the bulk of the RGB stars. On the basis of our CMD and from the previous literature we conclude that (1) these stars, clearly identified as a separate population in our CMD, represent the extreme metal rich extension ([Ca/H]>-0.3) of the stellar content of omega Cen, and show anomalous abundances of s-process elements (as Ba and Zr) as well; (2) they are physical members of the omega Cen system; (3) they comprise ~ 5% of the stars of the whole system; (4) this component and the metal-intermediate one (-0.4>[Ca/H]>-1) have been found to share the same spatial distribution, both of them differing significantly from the most metal poor one ([Ca/H]<-1). This last evidence supports the hypothesis that metal rich components could belong to an independent (proto?) stellar system captured in the past by omega Cen.

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arXiv1999

ESO Imaging Survey: Past Activities and Future Prospects

The ESO Imaging Survey (EIS) is an ongoing project to carry out public imaging surveys to support programs on the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). The first phase of the project started in July 1997 and consisted of a moderately deep, large-area survey (EIS-WIDE) and a deep optical/infrared survey (EIS-DEEP) using the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT). EIS has recently reached another milestone with the completion of a Pilot Survey using the Wide-Field Image (WFI), an 8k by 8k mosaic CCD camera mounted on the MPG/ESO 2.2m telescope at La Silla. This paper briefly reviews the results of the original EIS and gives an update of the results obtained from the observations carried out as part of the Pilot Survey. Work in progress on the development of an advanced pipeline for handling data from large CCD mosaics and facilities to make the access to data products easier for external users are also discussed.

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