arXiv subjects

Gisella Clementini

Publications and source records attributed to Gisella Clementini.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

RR Lyrae stars in the Gaia era

Gaia, the European Space Agency spacecraft successfully launched on 19 December 2013, entered into nominal science operations on 18 July 2014 after a few months of commissioning, and has been scanning the sky to a faint limit of G = 20.7 mag since then. Gaia is expected to observe more than a hundred thousand RR Lyrae stars in the Galactic halo and bulge (most of which will be new discoveries), and to provide parallax measurements with about 10 μas uncertainty for those brighter than $\sim$ 12-13 mag. Status and activities of the spacecraft since launch are briefly reviewed with emphasis on preliminary results obtained for RR Lyrae stars observed in the Large Magellanic Cloud during the first 28 days of science operations spent in Ecliptic Pole scanning mode and in light of the first Gaia data release which is scheduled for summer 2016.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

New near-infrared period-luminosity-metallicity relations for RR Lyrae stars and the outlook for Gaia

We present results of the analysis of 70 RR Lyrae stars located in the bar of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Combining spectroscopically determined metallicity of these stars from the literature with precise periods from the OGLE III catalogue and multi-epoch $K_{\rm s}$ photometry from the VISTA survey of the Magellanic Clouds system (VMC), we derive a new near-infrared period-luminosity-metallicity (${\rm PL_{K_{\rm s}}Z}$) relation for RR Lyrae variables. In order to fit the relation we use a fitting method developed specifically for this study. The zero-point of the relation is estimated in two different ways: by assuming the value of the distance to the LMC and by using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) parallaxes of five RR Lyrae stars in the Milky Way (MW). The difference in distance moduli derived by applying these two approaches is $\sim0.2$ mag. To investigate this point further we derive the ${\rm PL_{K_{\rm s}}Z}$ relation based on 23 MW RR Lyrae stars which had been analysed in Baade-Wesselink studies. We compared the derived ${\rm PL_{K_{\rm s}}Z}$ relations for RR Lyrae stars in the MW and LMC. Slopes and zero-points are different, but still consistent within the errors. The shallow slope of the metallicity term is confirmed by both LMC and MW variables. The astrometric space mission Gaia is expected to provide a huge contribution to the determination of the RR Lyrae ${\rm PL_{K_{\rm s}}Z}$ relation, however, calculating an absolute magnitude from the trigonometric parallax of each star and fitting a ${\rm PL_{K_{\rm s}}Z}$ relation directly to period and absolute magnitude leads to biased results. We present a tool to achieve an unbiased solution by modelling the data and inferring the slope and zero-point of the relation via statistical methods.

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arXiv2015

The variability processing and analysis of the Gaia mission

We present the variability processing and analysis that is foreseen for the Gaia mission within Coordination Unit 7 (CU7) of the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC). A top level description of the tasks is given.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2015

The VMC Survey - XIV. First results on the look-back time star-formation rate tomography of the Small Magellanic Cloud

We analyse deep images from the VISTA survey of the Magellanic Clouds in the YJKs filters, covering 14 sqrdeg (10 tiles), split into 120 subregions, and comprising the main body and Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We apply a colour--magnitude diagram reconstruction method that returns their best-fitting star formation rate SFR(t), age-metallicity relation (AMR), distance and mean reddening, together with 68% confidence intervals. The distance data can be approximated by a plane tilted in the East-West direction with a mean inclination of 39 deg, although deviations of up to 3 kpc suggest a distorted and warped disk. After assigning to every observed star a probability of belonging to a given age-metallicity interval, we build high-resolution population maps. These dramatically reveal the flocculent nature of the young star-forming regions and the nearly smooth features traced by older stellar generations. They document the formation of the SMC Wing at ages <0.2 Gyr and the peak of star formation in the SMC Bar at 40 Myr. We clearly detect periods of enhanced star formation at 1.5 Gyr and 5 Gyr. The former is possibly related to a new feature found in the AMR, which suggests ingestion of metal-poor gas at ages slightly larger than 1 Gyr. The latter constitutes a major period of stellar mass formation. We confirm that the SFR(t) was moderately low at even older ages.

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arXiv2014

The VMC Survey - XII. Star cluster candidates in the Large Magellanic Cloud

In this work we analyse Colour-Magnitude Diagrams (CMDs) of catalogued star clusters located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), from a YJKs photometric data set obtained by the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) survey of the Magellanic Clouds system (VMC). We studied a total of 98 objects of small angular size, typically ~ 11.6 pc in diameter projected towards both uncrowded tile LMC 8_8 and crowded tile LMC 5_5. They populate relatively crowded LMC fields with significant fluctuations in the stellar density, the luminosity function, and the colour distribution as well as uncrowded fields. This cluster sample is aimed at actually probing our performance in reaching the CMD features of clusters with different ages in crowded/uncrowded fields. We applied a subtraction procedure to statistically clean the cluster CMDs from field star contamination. We then matched theoretical isochrones to the background-subtracted CMDs to determine the ages and metallicities of the clusters. We estimated the ages of 65 clusters, which resulted to be in the age range 7.3 < log(t/yr) < 9.55. We also classified as chance grouping of stars 19 previoulsy catalogued clusters, two possible cluster-like asterisms, and one unresolved cluster. For other 8 objects, we could not find a clear star concentration in the Ks images either, so we quoted them as cluster-like asterisms. Finally, we found two previously catalogued single star clusters to be unresolved background galaxies (KMHK747, OGLE366), and one to be a triple cluster system (BSDL 2144).

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

The VMC Survey. XI. Radial Stellar Population Gradients in the Galactic Globular Cluster 47 Tucanae

We present a deep near-infrared color--magnitude diagram of the Galactic globular cluster 47 Tucanae, obtained with the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) as part of the VISTA near-infrared Y, J, K_s survey of the Magellanic System (VMC). The cluster stars comprising both the subgiant and red-giant branches exhibit apparent, continuous variations in color--magnitude space as a function of radius. Subgiant-branch stars at larger radii are systematically brighter than their counterparts closer to the cluster core; similarly, red-giant-branch stars in the cluster's periphery are bluer than their more centrally located cousins. The observations can very well be described by adopting an age spread of ~0.5 Gyr as well as radial gradients in both the cluster's helium abundance (Y) and metallicity (Z), which change gradually from Y = 0.28, Z = 0.005 in the cluster core to Y = 0.25, Z = 0.003 in its periphery. We conclude that the cluster's inner regions host a significant fraction of second-generation stars, which decreases with increasing radius; the stellar population in the 47 Tuc periphery is well approximated by a simple stellar population.

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arXiv2013

Dwarf spheroidal satellites of M31: I. Variable stars and stellar populations in Andromeda XIX

We present B,V time-series photometry of Andromeda XIX (And XIX), the most extended (half-light radius of 6.2') of Andromeda's dwarf spheroidal companions, that we observed with the Large Binocular Cameras at the Large Binocular Telescope. We surveyed a 23'x 23' area centered on And XIX and present the deepest color magnitude diagram (CMD) ever obtained for this galaxy, reaching, at V~26.3 mag, about one magnitude below the horizontal branch (HB). The CMD shows a prominent and slightly widened red giant branch, along with a predominantly red HB, which, however, extends to the blue to significantly populate the classical instability strip. We have identified 39 pulsating variable stars, of which 31 are of RR Lyrae type and 8 are Anomalous Cepheids (ACs). Twelve of the RR Lyrae variables and 3 of the ACs are located within And XIX's half light radius. The average period of the fundamental mode RR Lyrae stars ( = 0.62 d, σ= 0.03 d) and the period-amplitude diagram qualify And XIX as an Oosterhoff-Intermediate system. From the average luminosity of the RR Lyrae stars ( = 25.34 mag, σ= 0.10 mag) we determine a distance modulus of (m-M)$_0$=$24.52\pm0.23$ mag in a scale where the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is $18.5\pm0.1$ mag. The ACs follow a well defined Period-Wesenheit (PW) relation that appears to be in very good agreement with the PW relationship defined by the ACs in the LMC.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

Variable stars in the ultra-faint dwarf spheroidal galaxy Ursa Major I

We have performed the first study of the variable star population of Ursa Major I (UMa I), an ultra-faint dwarf satellite recently discovered around the Milky Way by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Combining time series observations in the B and V bands from four different telescopes, we have identified seven RR Lyrae stars in UMa I, of which five are fundamental-mode (RRab) and two are first-overtone pulsators (RRc). Our V, B-V color-magnitude diagram of UMa I reaches V~23 mag (at a signal-to-noise ratio of ~ 6) and shows features typical of a single old stellar population. The mean pulsation period of the RRab stars = 0.628, σ = 0.071 days (or = 0.599, σ = 0.032 days, if V4, the longest period and brightest variable, is discarded) and the position on the period-amplitude diagram suggest an Oosterhoff-intermediate classification for the galaxy. The RR Lyrae stars trace the galaxy horizontal branch at an average apparent magnitude of = 20.43 +/- 0.02 mag (average on 6 stars and discarding V4), giving in turn a distance modulus for UMa I of (m-M)0 = 19.94 +/- 0.13 mag, distance d= 97.3 +6.0/-5.7 kpc, in the scale where the distance modulus of the Large Magellanic Cloud is 18.5 +/- 0.1 mag. Isodensity contours of UMa I red giants and horizontal branch stars (including the RR Lyrae stars identified in this study) show that the galaxy has an S-shaped structure, which is likely caused by the tidal interaction with the Milky Way. Photometric metallicities were derived for six of the UMa I RR Lyrae stars from the parameters of the Fourier decomposition of the V-band light curves, leading to an average metal abundance of [Fe/H] = -2.29 dex (σ = 0.06 dex, average on 6 stars) on the Carretta et al. metallicity scale.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

Does the Oosterhoff Dichotomy Exist in The Andromeda Galaxy? I. The case of G11

We present the first evidence that Oosterhoff type II globular clusters exist in the Andromeda galaxy (M31). On the basis of time-series photometry of the moderately metal-poor ([Fe/H]\sim -1.6 dex) M31 globular cluster G11, obtained with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on board the Hubble Space Telescope, we detected and derived periods for 14 RR Lyrae stars, of which five are found to lie inside the cluster tidal radius. They include three fundamental-mode (RRab) and two first-overtone (RRc) pulsators, with average periods = 0.70 d, and = 0.40 d, respectively. These mean periods and the position of the cluster variable stars in the period-amplitude and period-metallicity diagrams, all suggest that G11 is likely to be an Oosterhoff type II globular cluster. This appears to be in agreement with the general behavior of Milky Way globular clusters with similar metallicity and horizontal branch morphology.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2012

Variability and star formation in Leo T, the lowest luminosity star-forming galaxy known today

We present results from the first combined study of variable stars and star formation history (SFH) of the Milky Way (MW) "ultra-faint" dwarf (UFD) galaxy Leo T, based on F606W and F814W multi-epoch archive observations obtained with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on board the Hubble Space Telescope. We have detected 14 variable stars in the galaxy. They include one fundamental-mode RR Lyrae star and 10 Anomalous Cepheids with periods shorter than 1 day, thus suggesting the occurrence of multiple star formation episodes in this UFD, of which one about 10 Gyr ago produced the RR Lyrae star. A new estimate of the distance to Leo T of 409 $^{+29}_{-27}$ kpc (distance modulus of 23.06 $\pm$ 0.15 mag) was derived from the galaxy's RR Lyrae star. Our V, V-I color-magnitude diagram of Leo T reaches V~29 mag and shows features typical of a galaxy in transition between dwarf irregular and dwarf spheroidal types. A quantitative analysis of the star formation history, based on the comparison of the observed V,V-I CMD with the expected distribution of stars for different evolutionary scenarios, confirms that Leo T has a complex star formation history dominated by two enhanced periods about 1.5 and 9 Gyr ago, respectively. The distribution of stars and gas shows that the galaxy has a fairly asymmetric structure.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2012

Stellar Archaeology in the Galactic halo with Ultra-Faint Dwarfs: VII. Hercules

We present the first time-series study of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Hercules. Using a variety of telescope/instrument facilities we secured about 50 V and 80 B epochs. These data allowed us to detect and characterize 10 pulsating variable stars in Hercules. Our final sample includes 6 fundamental-mode (ab-type) and 3 first overtone (c-type) RR Lyrae stars, and one Anomalous Cepheid. The average period of the ab-type RR Lyrae stars, < Pab >= 0.68 d (sigma = 0.03 d), places Hercules in the Oosterhoff II group, as found for almost the totality of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxies investigated so far for variability. The RR Lyrae stars were used to obtain independent estimates of the metallicity, reddening and distance to Hercules, for which we find: [Fe/H] = -2.30+-0.15 dex, E(B -V) = 0.09+-0.02 mag, and (m-M)o = 20.6+-0.1 mag, in good agreement with the literature values. We have obtained a V, B - V color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of Hercules that reaches V ~ 25 mag and extends beyond the galaxy's half-light radius over a total area of 40' {\times} 36'. The CMD and the RR Lyrae stars indicate the presence of a population as old and metal-poor as (at least) the Galactic globular clusters M68.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2012

Standard candles from the Gaia perspective

The ESA Gaia mission will bring a new era to the domain of standard candles. Progresses in this domain will be achieved thanks to unprecedented astrometric precision, whole-sky coverage and the combination of photometric, spectrophotometric and spectroscopic measurements. The fundamental outcome of the mission will be the Gaia catalogue produced by the Gaia Data Analysis and Processing Consortium (DPAC), which will contain a variable source classification and specific properties for stars of specific variability types. We review what will be produced for Cepheids, RR Lyrae, Long Period Variable stars and eclipsing binaries.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2011

Hide and seek between Andromeda's halo, disk, and giant stream

Photometry in B, V (down to V ~ 26 mag) is presented for two 23' x 23' fields of the Andromeda galaxy (M31) that were observed with the blue channel camera of the Large Binocular Telescope during the Science Demonstration Time. Each field covers an area of about 5.1kpc x 5.1kpc at the distance of M31 ((m-M)o ~ 24.4 mag), sampling, respectively, a northeast region close to the M31 giant stream (field S2), and an eastern portion of the halo in the direction of the galaxy minor axis (field H1). The stream field spans a region that includes Andromeda's disk and the giant stream, and this is reflected in the complexity of the color magnitude diagram of the field. One corner of the halo field also includes a portion of the giant stream. Even though these demonstration time data were obtained under non-optimal observing conditions the B photometry, acquired in time-series mode, allowed us to identify 274 variable stars (among which 96 are bona fide and 31 are candidate RR Lyrae stars, 71 are Cepheids, and 16 are binary systems) by applying the image subtraction technique to selected portions of the observed fields. Differential flux light curves were obtained for the vast majority of these variables. Our sample includes mainly pulsating stars which populate the instability strip from the Classical Cepheids down to the RR Lyrae stars, thus tracing the different stellar generations in these regions of M31 down to the horizontal branch of the oldest (t ~ 10 Gyr) component.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

RR Lyrae Stars in Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

With ages comparable to the age of the Universe, the variable stars of RR Lyrae type have eyewitnessed the formation of their host galaxies, and thus can provide information on the processes that led to the assembling of large galaxies such as the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy. The present knowledge of the RR Lyrae population in Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies is reviewed,calling attention to the "ultra-faint" spheroidal systems recently discovered around the Milky Way by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The properties of the RR Lyrae stars and the Oosterhoff dichotomy observed for Galactic globular clusters and field RR Lyrae stars are discussed, since they put constrain on the possibility that the Milky Way and Andromeda halos were built up from protogalactic fragments resembling the dwarf spheroidals we observe today.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

The Gaia mission and variable stars

The Gaia satellite, to be launched in 2012, will offer an unprecedented survey of the whole sky down to magnitude 20. The multi-epoch nature of the mission provides a unique opportunity to study variable sources with their astrometric, photometric, spectro-photometric and radial velocity measurements. Many tens of millions of classical variable objects are expected to be detected, mostly stars but also QSOs and asteroids. The high number of objects observed by Gaia will enable statistical studies of populations of variable sources and of their properties. But Gaia will also allow the study of individual objects to some depth depending on their variability types, and the identification of potentially interesting candidates that would benefit from further ground based observations by the scientific community. Within the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC), which is subdivided into 9 Coordination Units (CU), one (CU7) is dedicated to the variability analysis. Its goal is to provide information on variable sources for the Gaia intermediate and final catalogue releases.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2009

The Variable Star Population of the Globular Cluster B514 in the Andromeda Galaxy

A rich harvest of RR Lyrae stars has been identified for the first time in B514, a metal-poor ([Fe/H] = 1.95 +/- 0.10 dex) globular cluster of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), based on Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 and Advanced Camera for Surveys time-series observations. We have detected and derived periods for 89 RR Lyrae stars (82 fundamental-mode -RRab- and 7 first-overtone -RRc- pulsators, respectively) among 161 candidate variables identified in the cluster. The average period of the RR Lyrae variables ( = 0.58 days and = 0.35 days, for RRab and RRc pulsators, respectively) and the position in the period-amplitude diagram both suggest that B514 is likely an Oosterhoff type I cluster. This appears to be in disagreement with the general behaviour of the metal-poor globular clusters in the Milky Way, which show instead Oosterhoff type II pulsation properties. The average apparent magnitude of the RR Lyrae stars sets the mean level of the cluster horizontal branch at = 25.18 +/- 0.02 (sigma=0.16 mag, on 81 stars). By adopting a reddening E(B-V) = 0.07 +/- 0.02 mag, the above metallicity and M_V=0.44 +/- 0.05 mag for the RR Lyrae variables of this metallicity, we derive a distance modulus of mu_0=24.52 +/- 0.08 mag, corresponding to a distance of about 800 +/- 30 kpc, based on a value of M_V that sets mu_0(LMC)=18.52.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Structural Parameters of Seven SMC Intermediate-Age and Old Star Clusters

We present structural parameters for the seven intermediate-age and old star clusters NGC121, Lindsay 1, Kron 3, NGC339, NGC416, Lindsay 38, and NGC419 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. We fit King profiles and Elson, Fall, and Freeman profiles to both surface-brightness and star count data taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. Clusters older than 1 Gyr show a spread in cluster core radii that increases with age, while the youngest clusters have relatively compact cores. No evidence for post core collapse clusters was found. We find no correlation between core radius and distance from the SMC center, although consistent with other studies of dwarf galaxies, some relatively old and massive clusters have low densities. The oldest SMC star cluster, the only globular NGC121, is the most elliptical object of the studied clusters. No correlation is seen between ellipticity and distance from the SMC center. The structures of these massive intermediate-age (1-8 Gyr) SMC star clusters thus appear to primarily result from internal evolutionary processes.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Pulsating variable stars in the Magellanic Clouds

Pulsating variable stars can be powerful tools to study the structure, formation and evolution of galaxies. I discuss the role that the Magellanic Clouds' pulsating variables play in our understanding of the whole Magellanic System, in light of results on pulsating variables produced by extensive observing campaigns like the MACHO and OGLE microlensing surveys. In this context, I also briefly outline the promise of new surveys and astrometric missions which will target the Clouds in the near future.

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