arXiv subjects

Edgardo Costa

Publications and source records attributed to Edgardo Costa.

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

SMC: Stellar Populations through deep CMDs

We present deep color-magnitud diagrams (CMDs) reaching the oldest main-sequence turnoffs for 12 fields in the SMC. The {\it B}-band and {\it R}-band observations were performed using the 100-inch Irénée du Pont telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile, during four different campaigns (2001-2004). Our fields cover a wide range of galactocentric distance ranging from $\sim1°$ to $\sim4°$ from the center of the galaxy and are located a different position angles. Photometry was carried out using DAOPHOT II/ALLSTAR/ALLFRAME. Teramo isochrones have been overlapped. All our unprecedented deep ground-based CMDs reach the old MS turnoffs with very good photometric accuracy. They clearly show stellar population gradients as a function of both galactocentric distance and position angle. The most conspicuous difference involves the young population (age$<$1 Gyr): the young MS is much more populated on the eastern fields, located on the SMC wing area, than on the western fields located at similar galactocentric radius. In addition, the main stellar population gets progresively older on average as we go to larger galactocentric radius.

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arXiv2005

The Solar Neighborhood XIII: Parallax Results from the CTIOPI 0.9-m Program -- Stars with mu >= 1"/year (MOTION Sample)

We present the first set of definitive trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Parallax Investigation (CTIOPI). Full astrometric reductions for the program are discussed, including methods of reference stars selection, differential color refraction corrections, and conversion of relative to absolute parallax. Using data acquired at the 0.9-m at CTIO, full astrometric solutions and $VRIJHK_s$ photometry are presented for 36 red and white dwarf stellar systems with proper motions faster than 1\farcs0/yr. Of these, thirty three systems have the first ever trigonometric parallaxes, which comprise 41% of MOTION systems (those with proper motions greater than 1\farcs0/yr) south of $δ$ $=$ 0 that have no parallaxes. Four of the systems are new members of the RECONS 10 pc sample for which the first accurate trigonometric parallaxes are published here: DENIS J1048-3956 (4.04 $\pm$ 0.03 pc), GJ 1128 (LHS 271, 6.53 $\pm$ 0.10 pc), GJ 1068 (LHS 22, 6.97 $\pm$ 0.09 pc), and GJ 1123 (LHS 263, 9.02 $\pm$ 0.16 pc). In addition, two red subdwarf-white dwarf pairs, LHS 193AB and LHS 300AB, are identified. The white dwarf secondaries fall in a previously uncharted region of the HR diagram.

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arXiv2004

NGC 6404 and NGC 6583: two neglected intermediate-age open clusters located in the Galactic Center direction

We report on $VI$ CCD photometry of two fields centered in the region of the open clusters NGC 6404 and NGC 6583 down to $V=22.0$. These clusters have never been studied insofar, and we provide for the first time estimates of their fundamental parameters, namely, radial extent, age, distance and reddening. We find that NGC 6404 radius is 2.0 arcmin, as previously proposed, while NGC 6583 radius is 1.0 arcmin, significantly lower than previous estimates. Both clusters turn out to be of intermediate age (0.5-1.0 Gyr old), and located inside the solar ring, at a Galactocentric distance of about 6.5 kpc. These results make these objects very interesting targets for spectroscopic follow-up to measure their metallicity. In fact they might allow us to enlarge by more than 1 kpc the baseline of the radial abundance gradient in the Galactic disk toward the Galactic Center direction. This baseline is currently rather narrow especially for clusters of this age.

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arXiv2000

CTQ 839: Candidate for the Smallest Projected Separation Binary Quasar

We report the discovery of the new double quasar CTQ 839. This B = 18.3, radio quiet quasar pair is separated by 2.1" in BRIH filters with magnitude differences of delta m_B = 2.5, delta m_R = delta m_I = 1.9, and delta m_H = 2.3. Spectral observations reveal both components to be z = 2.24 quasars, with relative redshifts that agree at the 100 km/s level, but exhibit pronounced differences in the equivalent widths of related emission features, as well as an enhancement of blue continuum flux in the brighter component longward of the Ly alpha emission feature. In general, similar redshift double quasars can be the result of a physical binary pair, or a single quasar multiply imaged by gravitational lensing. Empirical PSF subtraction of R and H band images of CTQ 839 reveal no indication of a lensing galaxy, and place a detection limit of R = 22.5 and H = 17.4 for a third component in the system. For an Einstein-de Sitter cosmology and SIS model, the R band detection limit constrains the characteristics of any lensing galaxy to z_lens >= 1 with a corresponding luminosity of L >~ 5 L_*, while an analysis based on the redshift probability distribution for the lensing galaxy argues against the existence of a z_lens >~ 1 lens at the 2 sigma level. A similar analysis for a Lambda dominated cosmology, however, does not significantly constrain the existence of any lensing galaxy. The broadband flux differences, spectral dissimilarities, and failure to detect a lensing galaxy make the lensing hypothesis for CTQ 839 unlikely. The similar redshifts of the two components would then argue for a physical quasar binary. At a projected separation of 8.3/h kpc (Omega_matter = 1), CTQ 839 would be the smallest projected separation binary quasar currently known.

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