arXiv subjects

Fabio Bresolin

Publications and source records attributed to Fabio Bresolin.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

Revisiting the abundance gradient in the maser host galaxy NGC 4258

New spectroscopic observations of 36 HII regions in NGC 4258 obtained with the Gemini telescope are combined with existing data from the literature to measure the radial oxygen abundance gradient in this galaxy. The [OIII]4363 auroral line was detected in four of the outermost targets (17 to 22 kpc from the galaxy center), allowing a determination of the electron temperature Te of the ionized gas. From the use of different calibrations of the R23 abundance indicator an oxygen abundance gradient of approximately -0.012 +/- 0.002 dex/kpc is derived. Such a shallow gradient, combined with the difference in the distance moduli measured from the Cepheid Period-Luminosity relation by Macri et al. between two distinct fields in NGC 4258, would yield an unrealistically strong effect of metallicity on the Cepheid distances. This strengthens the suggestion that systematic biases might affect the Cepheid distance of the outer field. Evidence for a similar effect in the differential study of M33 by Scowcroft et al. is presented. A revision of the transformation between strong-line and Te-based abundances in Cepheid-host galaxies is discussed. In the Te abundance scale, the oxygen abundance of the inner field of NGC 4258 is found to be comparable with the LMC value.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

A Library of Theoretical Ultraviolet Spectra of Massive, Hot Stars for Evolutionary Synthesis

We computed a comprehensive set of theoretical ultraviolet spectra of hot, massive stars with the radiation-hydrodynamics code WM-Basic. This model atmosphere and spectral synthesis code is optimized for computing the strong P Cygni-type lines originating in the winds of hot stars, which are the strongest features in the ultraviolet spectral region. The computed set is suitable as a spectral library for inclusion in evolutionary synthesis models of star clusters and star-forming galaxies. The chosen stellar parameters cover the upper left Hertzsprung-Russell diagram at L >~ 10^2.75 Lsun and T_eff >~ 20,000 K. The adopted elemental abundances are 0.05 Zsun, 0.2 Zsun, 0.4 Zsun, Zsun, and 2 Zsun. The spectra cover the wavelength range from 900 to 3000 Å and have a resolution of 0.4 Å. We compared the theoretical spectra to data of individual hot stars in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds obtained with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) and Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellites and found very good agreement. We built a library with the set of spectra and implemented it into the evolutionary synthesis code Starburst99 where it complements and extends the existing empirical library towards lower chemical abundances. Comparison of population synthesis models at solar and near-solar composition demonstrates consistency between synthetic spectra generated with either library. We discuss the potential of the new library for the interpretation of the rest-frame ultraviolet spectra of star-forming galaxies. Properties that can be addressed with the models include ages, initial mass function, and heavy-element abundance. The library can be obtained both individually or as part of the Starburst99 package.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2010

Planetary nebulae in M33: probes of AGB nucleosynthesis and ISM abundances

We have obtained deep optical spectrophotometry of 16 planetary nebulae in M33, mostly located in the central two kpc of the galaxy, with the Subaru and Keck telescopes. We have derived electron temperatures and chemical abundances from the detection of the [OIII]4363 line for the whole sample. We have found one object with an extreme nitrogen abundance, 12+log(N/H)=9.20, accompanied by a large helium content. After combining our data with those available in the literature for PNe and HII regions, we have examined the behavior of nitrogen, neon, oxygen and argon in relation to each other, and as a function of galactocentric distance. We confirm the good correlation between Ne/H and O/H for PNe in M33. Ar/H is also found to correlate with O/H. This strengthens the idea that at the metallicity of the bright PNe analyzed in M33, which is similar to that found in the LMC, these elements have not been significantly modified during the dredge-up processes that take place during the AGB phase of their progenitor stars. We find no significant oxygen abundance offset between PNe and HII regions at any given galactocentric distance, despite the fact that these objects represent different age groups in the evolution of the galaxy. Combining the results from PNe and HII regions, we obtain a representative slope of the ISM alpha-element (O, Ar, Ne) abundance gradient in M33 of -0.025 +/- 0.006 dex/kpc. Both PNe and HII regions display a large abundance dispersion at any given distance from the galactic center. We find that the N/O ratio in PNe is enhanced, relative to the HII regions, by approximately 0.8 dex.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

The Araucaria Project. The Distance to the Small Magellanic Cloud from Near-Infrared Photometry of RR Lyrae Variables

We have obtained deep infrared J and K band observations of nine 4.9x4.9 arcmin fields in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) with the ESO New Technology Telescope equipped with the SOFI infrared camera. In these fields, 34 RR Lyrae stars catalogued by the OGLE collaboration were identified. Using different theoretical and empirical calibrations of the infrared period-luminosity-metallicity relation, we find consistent SMC distance moduli, and find a best true distance modulus to the SMC of 18.97 +/- 0.03 (statistical) +/- 0.12 (systematic) mag which agrees well with most independent distance determinations to this galaxy, and puts the SMC 0.39 mag more distant than the LMC for which our group has recently derived, from the same technique, a distance of 18.58 mag.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

A New Distance to M33 Using Blue Supergiants and the FGLR Method

The quantitative spectral analysis of medium resolution optical spectra of A and B supergiants obtained with DEIMOS and ESI at the Keck Telescopes is used to determine a distance modulus of 24.93 +/- 0.11 mag for the Triangulum Galaxy M33. The analysis yields stellar effective temperatures, gravities, interstellar reddening, and extinction, the combination of which provides a distance estimate via the Flux-weighted Gravity--Luminosity Relationship (FGLR). This result is based on an FGLR calibration that is continually being polished. An average reddening of ~ 0.08 mag is found, with a large variation ranging from 0.01 to 0.16 mag however, demonstrating the importance of accurate individual reddening measurements for stellar distance indicators in galaxies with evident signatures of interstellar absorption. The large distance modulus found is in good agreement with recent work on eclipsing binaries, planetary nebulae, long period variables, RR Lyrae stars, and also with HST observations of Cepheids, if reasonable reddening assumptions are made for the Cepheids. Since distances based on the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method found in the literature give conflicting results, we have used HST ACS V- and I-band images of outer regions of M 33 to determine a TRGB distance of 24.84 +/- 0.10 mag, in basic agreement with the FGLR result. We have also determined stellar metallicities and discussed the metallicity gradient in the disk of M33. We find metallicity of $Z_\odot$ at the center and 0.3 $Z_\odot$ in the outskirts at a distance of one isophotal radius. The average logarithmic metallicity gradient is -0.07 +/- 0.01 dex kpc^-1. However, there is a large scatter around this average value, very similar to what has been found for the HII regions in M33.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Extragalactic chemical abundances: do HII regions and young stars tell the same story? The case of the spiral galaxy NGC 300

(Abridged) We have obtained new spectrophotometric data for 28 HII regions in the spiral galaxy NGC 300, a member of the nearby Sculptor Group. The detection of auroral lines, including [OIII]4363, [SIII]6312 and [NII]5755, has allowed us to measure electron temperatures and direct chemical abundances for the whole sample. We determine for the first time in this galaxy a radial gas-phase oxygen abundance gradient based solely on auroral lines, and obtain the following least-square solution: 12+log(O/H)=8.57-0.41 R/R25, where the galactocentric distance is expressed in terms of the isophotal radius R25. The gradient corresponds to -0.077 dex/kpc, and agrees very well with the galactocentric trend in metallicity obtained for 29 B and A supergiants in the same galaxy. The intercept of the regression for the nebular data virtually coincides with the intercept obtained from the stellar data. This allows little room for depletion of nebular oxygen onto dust grains, although in this kind of comparison we are somewhat limited by systematic uncertainties, such as those related to the atomic parameters used to derive the chemical compositions. We discuss the implications of our result with regard to strong-line abundance indicators commonly used to estimate the chemical compositions of star-forming galaxies, such as R23. By applying a few popular calibrations of these indices based on grids of photoionization models on the NGC 300 HII region fluxes we find metallicities that are higher by 0.3 dex (a factor of two) or more relative to our nebular (Te-based) and stellar ones. We confirm a metallicity dependence of the `softness' parameter eta=(O+/O++)/(S+/S++), in the sense that softer stellar continua are found at high metallicity.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

The flat oxygen abundance gradient in the extended disk of M83

We have obtained deep multi-object optical spectra of 49 HII regions in the outer disk of the spiral galaxy M83 (=NGC 5236) with the FORS2 spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope. The targets span the range in galactocentric distance between 0.64 and 2.64 times the R25 isophotal radius (5.4-22.3 kpc), and 31 of them are located at R>R25, thus belonging to the extreme outer disk of the galaxy, populated by UV complexes revealed recently by the GALEX satellite. In order to derive the nebular chemical abundances, we apply several diagnostics of the oxygen abundance, including R23, [NII]/[OII] and the [OIII]4363 auroral line, which was detected in four HII regions. We find that, while inwards of the optical edge the O/H ratio follows the radial gradient known from previous investigations, the outer abundance trend flattens out to an approximately constant value. The latter varies, according to the adopted diagnostic, between 12+log(O/H)=8.2 and 12+log(O/H)=8.6 (i.e. from approximately 1/3 the solar oxygen abundance to nearly the solar value). An abrupt discontinuity in the radial oxygen abundance trend is also detected near the optical edge of the disk. These results are tentatively linked to the flat gas surface density in the outskirts of the galaxy, the relatively unevolved state of the extended disk of M83, and the redistribution of chemically enriched gas following a past galaxy encounter.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2008

The Physical Properties and Effective Temperature Scale of O-type Stars as a Function of Metallicity. III. More Results from the Magellanic Clouds

In order to better determine the physical properties of hot, massive stars as a function of metallicity, we obtained very high SNR optical spectra of 26 O and early B stars in the Magellanic Clouds. These allow accurate modeling even in cases where the He I 4471 line has an equivalent width of only a few tens of mA. The spectra were modeled with FASTWIND, with good fits obtained for 18 stars; the remainder show signatures of being binaries. We include stars in common to recent studies to investigate possible systematic differences. The "automatic" FASTWIND modeling method of Mokiem and collaborators produced temperatures 1100 K hotter on the average, presumably due to the different emphasis given to various temperature-sensitive lines. More significant, however, is that the automatic method always produced some "best" answer, even for stars we identify as composite (binaries). The temperatures found by the TLUSTY/CMFGEN modeling of Bouret, Heap, and collaborators yielded temperatures 1000 K cooler than ours, on average. Significant outliers were due either to real differences in the data (some of the Bouret/Heap data were contaminated by moonlight continua) or the fact we could detect the HeI line needed to better constrain the temperature. Our new data agrees well with the effective temperature scale we presented previously. We confirm that the "Of" emission-lines do not track luminosity classes in the exact same manner as in Milky Way stars. We revisit the the issue of the "mass discrepancy", finding that some of the stars in our sample do have spectroscopic masses that are significantly smaller than those derived from stellar evolutionary models. We do not find that the size of the mass discrepancy is simply related to either effective temperature or surface gravity.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Luminosity-Metallicity Relation for dIrr Galaxies in the Near-Infrared

(abridged) The present work is a first step to collect homogeneous abundances and near-infrared (NIR) luminosities for a sample of dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies, located in nearby groups. The use of NIR luminosities is intended to provide a better proxy to mass than the blue luminosities commonly used in the literature; in addition, selecting group members reduces the impact of uncertain distances. Accurate abundances are derived to assess the galaxy metallicity. Optical spectra are collected for Hii regions in the dIrrs, allowing the determination of oxygen abundances by means of the temperature-sensitive method. For each dIrr galaxy H-band imaging is performed and the total magnitudes are measured via surface photometry. This high-quality database allows us to build a well-defined luminosity-metallicity relation in the range -13 >= M(H) >= -20. The scatter around its linear fit is reduced to 0.11 dex, the lowest of all relations currently available. There might exist a difference between the relation for dIrrs and the relation for giant galaxies, although a firm conclusion should await direct abundance determinations for a significant sample of massive galaxies. This new dataset provides an improved luminosity-metallicity relation, based on a standard NIR band, for dwarf star-forming galaxies. The relation can now be compared with some confidence to the predictions of models of galaxy evolution. Exciting follow-ups of this work are (a) exploring groups with higher densities, (b) exploring nearby galaxy clusters to probe environmental effects on the luminosity-metallicity relation, and (c) deriving direct oxygen abundances in the central regions of star-forming giant galaxies, to settle the question of a possible dichotomy between the chemical evolution of dwarfs and that of massive galaxies.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Massive stars in the nuclei and arms of spirals

Many of the properties of massive stars in external galaxies, such as chemical compositions, mass functions, and ionizing fluxes, can be derived from the study of the associated clouds of ionized gas. Moreover, the signatures of Wolf-Rayet stars are often detected in the spectra of extragalactic H II regions. This paper reviews some aspects of the recent work on the massive star content of nearby spiral galaxies, as inferred from the analysis of giant H II regions. Particular attention is given to regions of high metallicity, including nuclear hot spots, and to the chemical abundance comparison between supergiant stars and ionized gas.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

The Araucaria Project. The Distance of the Large Magellanic Cloud from Near-Infrared Photometry of RR Lyrae Variables

We have obtained deep infrared $J$ and $K$ band observations of five fields located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) bar with the ESO New Technology Telescope equipped with the SOFI infrared camera. In our fields, 65 RR Lyrae stars catalogued by the OGLE collaboration were identified. Using different theoretical and empirical calibrations of the period-luminosity-metallicity relation, we find consistent LMC distance moduli values. Since the observed fields are situated very close to the center of the LMC, the correction for the tilt of the LMC bar with respect to the line of sight is negligible. Our adopted best true distance modulus to the LMC of $18.58 \pm 0.03$ (statistical) $\pm$ 0.11 (systematic) mag agrees very well with most independent determinations to this galaxy.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Extragalaxtic Stellar Astronomy

Despite their paucity, massive hot stars are real cosmic engines of fundamental importance in shaping our Universe, from its very early stages up to its current appearance. Understanding the physics of massive stars is then a key issue for many relevant astrophysical phenomena. Probing the massive stellar population of nearby galaxies by means of quantitative spectroscopy allows us to unveil a wealth of information that will aid our current understanding of stellar and galaxy evolution. In addition, blue luminous stars can be used as standard candles for extragalactic distances up to 10 Mpc. In this contribution, we present a brief overview of recent steps we have undertaken in this exciting research field.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

VLT spectroscopy of blue supergiants in IC 1613

We present multi-object spectroscopy of young, massive stars in the Local Group galaxy IC 1613. We provide the spectral classification and a detailed spectral catalog for 54 OBA stars in this galaxy. The majority of the photometrically selected sample is composed of B- and A-type supergiants. The remaining stars include early O-type dwarfs and the only Wolf-Rayet star known in this galaxy. Among the early B stars we have serendipitously uncovered 6 Be stars, the largest spectroscopically confirmed sample of this class of objects beyond the Magellanic Clouds. We measure chemical abundances for 9 early-B supergiants, and find a mean oxygen abundance of 12+log(O/H)=7.90 +/- 0.08. This value is consistent with the result we obtain for two HII regions in which we detect the temperature-sensitive [OIII]4363 auroral line.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Toward a galaxian luminosity-metallicity relation spanning ten magnitudes

We describe the two projects by which we are assembling a database of near-IR luminosities and direct oxygen abundances for both high- and low-mass star-forming galaxies in the nearby Universe. This will eventually allow us to construct the first reliable and homogeneous luminosity-metallicity relation, to be compared to theoretical models of galactic evolution, and to the relations for galaxies at higher redshifts.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

The oxygen abundance in the inner HII regions of M101. Implications for the calibration of strong-line metallicity indicators

I present deep spectroscopy of four HII regions in the inner, metal-rich zone of the spiral galaxy M101 obtained with the LRIS spectrograph at the Keck telescope. From the analysis of the collisionally excited lines in two of the target HII regions, H1013 and H493, I have obtained oxygen abundances 12+log(O/H)=8.52 and 12+log(O/H)=8.74, respectively. These measurements extend the determination of the oxygen abundance gradient of M101 via the direct method to only 3 kpc from the center. The intensity of the CII 4267 line in H1013 leads to a carbon abundance 12+log(C/H)=8.66, corresponding to nearly twice the solar value. From a comparison of the continuum temperature derived from the Balmer discontinuity, T(Bac)=5000 K, and the line temperature derived from [OIII]4363/5007, T[OIII]=7700 K, an average temperature T0=5500 K and a mean square temperature fluctuation t^2=0.06 have been derived. Accounting for the spatial inhomogeneity in temperature raises the oxygen abundance obtained from the oxygen auroral lines to 12+log(O/H)=8.93. These findings are discussed in the context of the calibration of strong-line metallicity indicators, in particular of the upper branch of R23. There is no evidence for the strong abundance biases arising from temperature gradients predicted theoretically for metal-rich HII regions.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Measuring Chemical Abundances in Extragalactic Metal-Rich HII Regions

The analysis of metal-rich HII regions has a profound impact on the calibration of abundance diagnostics widely used to measure the chemical content of star-forming galaxies, both locally and at high redshift. I review the main difficulties that affect direct abundance determinations from temperature-sensitive collisionally excited lines, and briefly discuss strong-line methods, in particular their empirical calibration. In the near future it will be possible to calibrate strong-line methods using metal recombination lines, providing abundances that are virtually insensitive to uncertainties on the nebular temperature structure.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

The Araucaria Project. VLT spectra of blue supergiants in WLM: classification and first abundances

As part of the Araucaria Project, we present the first spectral catalog of supergiant stars in the Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy WLM. In assigning a spectral classification to these stars we accounted for the low metal content of WLM relative to the galactic standards used in the MK process, by using classification criteria developed for B and A supergiants contained in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Our spectral catalog shows that our higher S/N spectroscopic sample of 19 objects contains at least 6 early-B (B0-B5) supergiants and 6 late-B and early-A (B8-A2) stars of luminosity class between Ia and II, as well as an O7~V star and an O9.7 Ia star. The spectra of several of these stars is of sufficiently high quality for a determination of the stellar parameters and abundances. We have acquired also a second set of lower S/N spectra for mostly BA stars, however their quality does not allow a further analysis. We have carried out a quantitative analysis for three early-B supergiants. The mean oxygen abundance we derive is 12+log(O/H)=7.83 +/- 0.12. This value agrees very well with the measurement that is obtained from HII regions. We therefore find no additional evidence for the discrepancy between stellar and nebular oxygen abundances measured for a single A-type supergiant by Venn et al. The analysis of B- and A-type supergiants yields compatible results for nitrogen, silicon and magnesium. We show that the photometric variability of the blue supergiants included in our spectroscopic sample is negligible for the use of these stars as distance indicators.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

The Araucaria Project: The Distance to NGC 300 from the Red Giant Branch Tip using HST/ACS imaging

We have used the Advanced Camera for Surveys on board the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain deep photometry of the NGC 300 spiral galaxy in the Sculptor group. The results have been used to derive an accurate distance determination based on the Tip of the Red Giant Branch distance estimator. Both edge-detection and maximum likelihood methods have been applied, to derive a distance modulus (m-M)_0=26.30 +/- 0.03 +/- 0.12 for edge-detection, and (m-M)_0=26.36 +/- 0.02 +/- 0.12 for maximum likelihood. These results are fully consistent with the recent distance estimate derived from near-IR photometry of Cepheids variable stars in the context of the Araucaria project, (m-M)_0= 26.37 +/- 0.05 +/- 0.03.

astro-ph↗