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Jaclyn Jensen

Publications and source records attributed to Jaclyn Jensen.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Characterizing the disruption of B\"ootes III: a missing link in the Galactic halo?

The B\"ootes III (Boo3) dwarf galaxy has long been suspected of being the progenitor of Styx, a ~50{\deg}-long stellar stream that was simultaneously discovered in the same region of sky. Boo3's diffuse morphology, large velocity dispersion, small pericenter, and excess of candidate stars at large radii suggest it is undergoing active tidal disruption. A link to Styx is therefore logical; however, a clear connection between these structures has not yet been clearly demonstrated. Here, we re-examine the Boo3-Styx association by searching for Boo3's tidal debris using a combination of Gaia-selected members, new CaHK narrow-band imaging with CFHT/MegaCam, and stellar tracer catalogues of blue horizontal branch and red giant branch stars. We also conduct a broad search for a putative stream using matched filter techniques applied to SDSS DR17 and DELVE DR2. Despite our extensive search, we find no observational evidence directly linking Boo3 to Styx. Furthermore, our results suggest that either Boo3's extended substructure is too diffuse to be detected with current data, or that its particular orbit may have erased a coherent tidal signature. Boo3 thus remains an enigmatic system, and exemplifies the need for spectroscopic follow-up to properly disentangle the nature between this faint Milky Way satellite and nearby stream.

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arXiv2026

Deep Imaging of Grus II and Horologium II: Structure and Extent of Two Ultra-Faint Milky Way Satellites

We present deep, wide-field Magellan/Megacam imaging of the ultra-faint Milky Way (MW) satellites Grus II (Gru II) and Horologium II (Hor II), with the aim of deriving improved constraints on their distances, luminosities, and structural parameters, while also searching for possible signs of tidal disturbance. Our photometry reaches approximately 3 magnitudes deeper than the discovery data, enabling robust measurements of these quantities. Both systems exhibit color-magnitude diagrams consistent with old ($\sim$12.5 Gyr), very metal-poor stellar populations. We find Gru II to be at a distance of $52.3 \pm 1.9$ kpc, with a half-light radius of $6.8 \pm 0.5$ arcmin (103 $\pm$ 9 pc), ellipticity $\epsilon = 0.25 \pm 0.07$, and absolute magnitude $M_V = -4.07 \pm 0.50$ mag. Hor II is further away at a distance of $72.4^{+5.9}_{-5.5}$ kpc and more compact, with $r_h = 2.1 \pm 0.2$ arcmin (44$^{+6}_{-5}$ pc), $\epsilon = 0.32^{+0.20}_{-0.16}$, and $M_V = -2.10 \pm 0.44$ mag. Both galaxies lie within the typical size-luminosity locus of MW ultra-faint dwarfs. Gru II shows an asymmetric morphology including multi-directional clumpy features, some of which may be suggestive of tidal disturbance. We further identify and spectroscopically confirm a new distant member just outside $3r_h$ in Gru II, providing independent evidence for member stars at large projected radii. In contrast, Hor II appears regular, with no significant extended structure detected to the surface-brightness limits of our data.

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arXiv2026

Galactic tides and the outer density profile of the Sculptor and Ursa Minor dwarf spheroidals

Most dwarf spheroidal (dSph) satellites of the Milky Way follow exponential surface density profiles that decline sharply in the outer regions. The Sculptor (Scl) and Ursa Minor (UMi) dSphs deviate from this trend and show a clear excess of stars in the outskirts. Individual members have recently been identified as far as ${\sim}10$ effective radii from the center in both systems. We study whether far-outlying stars in Scl and UMi may result from Galactic tidal forces using idealized N-body simulations. Our results indicate that, on their current orbits, neither galaxy has experienced tidal forces sufficient to affect its stellar density profile. The observed velocity dispersion and size of Scl and UMi imply the dwarfs are simply too dense to have been affected by Galactic tides. We also find weak tidal evolution when including the effects of the Large Magellanic Cloud, which our simulations suggest substantially perturbed Scl's orbit during a close encounter. Our results are insensitive to assumptions about the detailed dark matter density profile of either galaxy, including the presence of an inner core. We conclude that the outlying stars in Scl or UMi are not of tidal origin, but rather innate features that possibly reflect past merger events or the presence of multiple dynamical components.

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arXiv2026

The primordial nature of the C-19 stellar stream

Stellar streams, remnants of compact star systems stretched out by the tidal forces of the Milky Way, offer a unique way to study stellar populations that formed billions of years ago. A particularly unique stream is C-19, the most metal-poor stellar stream known at less than a thousandth of the Sun's metallicity. The nature of C-19 is not yet clear, with properties that resemble both star clusters and ultra faint dwarf galaxies, yet in either case its extremely low metallicity indicates very early star formation, <1 Gyr after the Big Bang. Here, we present the first detailed study on the nature of C-19 based on the chemical abundances of 14 member stars from high-resolution spectroscopy. These reveal that C-19 formed stars in an early, rapid, and prolific star formation event, with mild inhomogeneous mixing of elements produced in massive stars. There is otherwise no evidence for subsequent star formation, multiple stellar populations, nor chemical evolution. Although C-19 is currently disrupted in the Milky Way halo, it offers a rare and complementary window into the details of star formation and chemical evolution in the early universe, ideal for comparisons with current studies of primordial star formation in the high-redshift universe.

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arXiv2025

GHOST commissioning science results -- IV: Chemodynamical analyses of Milky Way satellites Sagittarius II and Aquarius II

We present Gemini/GHOST high-resolution spectra of five stars observed in two low surface brightness Milky Way satellites, Sagittarius II (Sgr2) and Aquarius II (Aqu2). For Aqu2, the velocities and metallicities of the two stars are consistent with membership in a dark matter-dominated ultra faint dwarf galaxy (UFD). The chemical abundance ratios suggest inefficient star formation from only one or a few supernovae (e.g., low Na, Sr, Ba), and enriched potassium (K) from super-AGB stars. For Sgr2, the velocity and metallicity dispersions of its members are not clearly resolved and our detailed chemical abundances show typical ratios for metal-poor stars, with low dispersions. There is only one exception - we report the discovery of an r-process enhanced star (Sgr2584, [Eu/Fe]= $+0.7 \pm 0.2 $; thus, an r-I star). As r-I stars are found in both UFDs (Tuc III, Tuc IV, Grus II) and globular clusters (M15 and M92), then this does not help to further classify the nature of Sgr2. Our exploration of Sgr2 demonstrates the difficulty in classifying some of the faintest (ambiguous) satellites. We advocate for additional diagnostics in analysing the ambiguous systems, such as exploring radial segregation (by mass and/or chemistry), N-body simulations, and the need for dark matter to survive Galactic tidal effects. The spectra analysed in this paper were taken as part of the GHOST commissioning observations, testing faint observation limits (G < 18.8) and the single and double IFU observing modes.

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arXiv2024

GHOST Commissioning Science Results II: a very metal-poor star witnessing the early Galactic assembly

This study focuses on Pristine$\_180956.78$$-$$294759.8$ (hereafter P180956, $[Fe/H] =-1.95\pm0.02$), a star selected from the Pristine Inner Galaxy Survey (PIGS), and followed-up with the recently commissioned Gemini High-resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST) at the Gemini South telescope. The GHOST spectrograph's high efficiency in the blue spectral region ($3700-4800$~Å) enables the detection of elemental tracers of early supernovae (\eg Al, Mn, Sr, Eu). The star exhibits chemical signatures resembling those found in ultra-faint dwarf systems, characterised by very low abundances of neutron-capture elements (Sr, Ba, Eu), which are uncommon among stars in the Milky Way halo. Our analysis suggests that P180956 bears the chemical imprints of a small number (2 or 4) of low-mass hypernovae ($\sim10-15 M_{\odot}$), which are needed to mostly reproduce the abundance pattern of the light-elements (\eg [Si, Ti/Mg, Ca] $\sim0.6$), and one fast-rotating intermediate-mass supernova ($\sim300\kms$, $\sim80-120 M_{\odot}$), which is the main channel contributing to the high [Sr/Ba] ($\sim +1.2$). The small pericentric ($\sim0.7$ kpc) and apocentric ($\sim13$ kpc) distances and its orbit confined to the plane ($\lesssim 2$ kpc), indicate that this star was likely accreted during the early Galactic assembly phase. Its chemo-dynamical properties suggest that P180956 formed in a system similar to an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy accreted either alone, as one of the low-mass building blocks of the proto-Galaxy, or as a satellite of Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus. The combination of Gemini's large aperture with GHOST's high efficiency and broad spectral coverage makes this new spectrograph one of the leading instruments for near-field cosmology investigations.

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arXiv2024

The Science Performance of the Gemini High Resolution Optical Spectrograph

The Gemini High Resolution Optical Spectrograph (GHOST) is a fiber-fed spectrograph system on the Gemini South telescope that provides simultaneous wavelength coverage from 348 - 1061nm, and designed for optimal performance between 363 - 950nm. It can observe up to two objects simultaneously in a 7.5 arcmin diameter field of regard at R = 56,000 or a single object at R = 75,000. The spectral resolution modes are obtained by using integral field units to image slice a 1.2" aperture by a factor of five in width using 19 fibers in the high resolution mode and by a factor of three in width using 7 fibers in the standard resolution mode. GHOST is equipped with hardware to allow for precision radial velocity measurements, expected to approach meters per second precision. Here, we describe the basic design and operational capabilities of GHOST, and proceed to derive and quantify the key aspects of its on-sky performance that are of most relevance to its science users.

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arXiv2023

Small-scale stellar haloes: detecting low surface brightness features in the outskirts of Milky Way dwarf satellites

Dwarf galaxies are valuable laboratories for dynamical studies related to dark matter and galaxy evolution, yet it is currently unknown just how physically extended their stellar components are. Satellites orbiting the Galaxy's potential may undergo tidal stripping by the host, or alternatively, may themselves have accreted smaller systems whose debris populates the dwarf's own stellar halo. Evidence of these past interactions, if present, is best searched for in the outskirts of the satellite. However, foreground contamination dominates the signal at these large radial distances, making observation of stars in these regions difficult. In this work, we introduce an updated algorithm for application to Gaia data that identifies candidate member stars of dwarf galaxies, based on spatial, color-magnitude and proper motion information, and which allows for an outer component to the stellar distribution. Our method shows excellent consistency with spectroscopically confirmed members from the literature despite having no requirement for radial velocity information. We apply the algorithm to all $\sim$60 Milky Way dwarf galaxy satellites, and we find 9 dwarfs (Boötes 1, Boötes 3, Draco 2, Grus 2, Segue 1, Sculptor, Tucana 2, Tucana 3, and Ursa Minor) that exhibit evidence for a secondary, low-density outer profile. We identify many member stars which are located beyond 5 half-light radii (and in some cases, beyond 10). We argue these distant stars are likely tracers of dwarf stellar haloes or tidal streams, though ongoing spectroscopic follow-up will be required to determine the origin of these extended stellar populations.

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arXiv2023

The discovery of the faintest known Milky Way satellite using UNIONS

We present the discovery of Ursa Major III/UNIONS 1, the least luminous known satellite of the Milky Way, which is estimated to have an absolute V-band magnitude of $+2.2^{+0.4}_{-0.3}$ mag, equivalent to a total stellar mass of 16$^{+6}_{-5}$ M$_{\odot}$. Ursa Major III/UNIONS 1 was uncovered in the deep, wide-field Ultraviolet Near Infrared Optical Northern Survey (UNIONS) and is consistent with an old ($τ> 11$ Gyr), metal-poor ([Fe/H] $\sim -2.2$) stellar population at a heliocentric distance of $\sim$ 10 kpc. Despite being compact ($r_{\text{h}} = 3\pm1$ pc) and composed of so few stars, we confirm the reality of Ursa Major III/UNIONS 1 with Keck II/DEIMOS follow-up spectroscopy and identify 11 radial velocity members, 8 of which have full astrometric data from $Gaia$ and are co-moving based on their proper motions. Based on these 11 radial velocity members, we derive an intrinsic velocity dispersion of $3.7^{+1.4}_{-1.0}$ km s$^{-1}$ but some caveats preclude this value from being interpreted as a direct indicator of the underlying gravitational potential at this time. Primarily, the exclusion of the largest velocity outlier from the member list drops the velocity dispersion to $1.9^{+1.4}_{-1.1}$ km s$^{-1}$, and the subsequent removal of an additional outlier star produces an unresolved velocity dispersion. While the presence of binary stars may be inflating the measurement, the possibility of a significant velocity dispersion makes Ursa Major III/UNIONS 1 a high priority candidate for multi-epoch spectroscopic follow-ups to deduce to true nature of this incredibly faint satellite.

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arXiv2023

The extended "stellar halo" of the Ursa Minor dwarf galaxy

Stellar candidates in the Ursa Minor (UMi) dwarf galaxy have been found using a new Bayesian algorithm applied to \textit{Gaia} EDR3 data. Five of these targets are located in the extreme outskirts of UMi, from $\sim5$ to 12 elliptical half-light radii (r$_h$), where r$_h$(UMi) $= 17.32 \pm 0.11$ arcmin, and have been observed with the GRACES high resolution spectrograph at the Gemini-Northern telescope. Precise radial velocities ($σ_{\rm{RV}} < 2$ km s$^{-1}$) and metallicities ($σ_{\rm{[Fe/H]}} < 0.2$ dex) confirm their memberships of UMi. Detailed analysis of the brightest and outermost star (Target~1, at $\sim12$ r$_h$), yields precision chemical abundances for the $α$- (Mg, Ca, Ti), odd-Z (Na, K, Sc), Fe-peak (Fe, Ni, Cr), and neutron-capture (Ba) elements. With data from the literature and APOGEE DR17, we find the chemical patterns in UMi are consistent with an outside-in star formation history that includes yields from core collapse supernovae, asymptotic giant branch stars, and supernovae Ia. Evidence for a knee in the [$α$/Fe] ratios near [Fe/H] $\sim-2.1$ indicates a low star formation efficiency similar to that in other dwarf galaxies. Detailed analysis of the surface number density profile shows evidence that UMi's outskirts have been populated by tidal effects, likely as a result of completing multiple orbits around the Galaxy.

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arXiv2023

GHOST Commissioning Science Results: Identifying a new chemically peculiar star in Reticulum II

The Gemini High-resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST) is the newest high resolution spectrograph to be developed for a large aperture telescope, recently deployed and commissioned at the Gemini-South telescope. In this paper, we present the first science results from the GHOST spectrograph taking during its commissioning runs. We have observed the bright metal-poor benchmark star HD 122563, along with two stars in the ultra faint dwarf galaxy, Ret II, one of which was previously identified as a candidate member, but did not have a previous detailed chemical abundance analysis. This star (GDR3 0928) is found to be a bona fide member of Ret II, and from a spectral synthesis analysis, it is also revealed to be a CEMP-r star, with significant enhancements in the several light elements (C, N, O, Na, Mg, and Si), in addition to featuring an r-process enhancement like many other Ret II stars. The light-element enhancements in this star resemble the abundance patterns seen in the CEMP-no stars of other ultra faint dwarf galaxies, and are thought to have been produced by an independent source from the r-process. These unusual abundance patterns are thought to be produced by faint supernovae, which may be produced by some of the earliest generations of stars.

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arXiv2023

Stars on the edge: Galactic tides and the outskirts of the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal

The formation of "stellar halos" in dwarf galaxies have been discussed in terms of early mergers or Galactic tides, although fluctuations in the gravitational potential due to stellar feedback is also a possible candidate mechanism. A Bayesian algorithm is used to find new candidate members in the extreme outskirts of the Sculptor dwarf galaxy. Precise metallicities and radial velocities for two distant stars are measured from their spectra taken with the Gemini South GMOS spectrograph. The radial velocity, proper motion and metallicity of these targets are consistent with Sculptor membership. As a result, the known boundary of the Sculptor dwarf extends now out to an elliptical distance of $\sim10$ half-light radii, which corresponds to a projected physical distance of $\sim3$ kpc. As reported in earlier work, the overall distribution of radial velocities and metallicities indicate the presence of a more spatially and kinematically dispersed metal-poor population that surrounds the more concentrated and colder metal-rich stars. Sculptor's density profile shows a "kink" in its logarithmic slope at a projected distance of $\sim25$ arcmin (620 pc), which we interpret as evidence that Galactic tides have helped to populate the distant outskirts of the dwarf. We discuss further ways to test and validate this tidal interpretation for the origin of these distant stars.

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arXiv2022

Discovery of a new Local Group Dwarf Galaxy Candidate in UNIONS: Boötes V

We present the discovery of Boötes V, a new ultra-faint dwarf galaxy candidate. This satellite is detected as a resolved overdensity of stars during an ongoing search for new Local Group dwarf galaxy candidates in the UNIONS photometric dataset. It has a physical half-light radius of 26.9$^{+7.5}_{-5.4}$ pc, a $V$-band magnitude of $-$4.5 $\pm$ 0.4 mag, and resides at a heliocentric distance of approximately 100 kpc. We use Gaia DR3 astrometry to identify member stars, characterize the systemic proper motion, and confirm the reality of this faint stellar system. The brightest star in this system was followed up using Gemini GMOS-N long-slit spectroscopy and is measured to have a metallicity of [Fe/H] $=$ $-$2.85 $\pm$ 0.10 dex and a heliocentric radial velocity of $v_r$ = 5.1 $\pm$ 13.4 km s$^{-1}$. Boötes V is larger (in terms of scale radius), more distant, and more metal-poor than the vast majority of globular clusters. It is likely that Boötes V is an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy, though future spectroscopic studies will be necessary to definitively classify this object.

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arXiv2022

The Cosmic Hunt for Members in the Outskirts of Ultra Faint Dwarf Galaxies: Ursa Major I, Coma Berenices, and Boötes I

Gaia EDR3 data was used to identify potential members in the outskirts of three ultra faint dwarf (UFD) galaxies; Coma Berenices (> 2Rh), Ursa Major I ($\sim$ 4Rh), and Boötes I ($\sim$ 4Rh), as well as a new member in the central region of Ursa Major I. These targets were observed with the Gemini GRACES spectrograph, which was used to determine precision radial velocities and metallicities that confirm their associations with the UFD galaxies. The spectra were also used to measure absorption lines for 10 elements (Na, Mg, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, and Ba), which confirm that the chemical abundances of the outermost stars are in good agreement with stars in the central regions. The abundance ratios and chemical patterns of the stars in Coma Berenices are consistent with contributions from SN Ia, which is unusual for its star formation history and in conflict with previous suggestions that this system evolved chemically from a single core collapse supernova event. The chemistries for all three galaxies are consistent with the outermost stars forming in the central regions, then moving to their current locations through tidal stripping and/or supernova feedback. In Boötes I, however, the lower metallicity and lack of strong carbon enrichment of its outermost stars could also be evidence of a dwarf galaxy merger.

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arXiv2021

Uncovering fossils of the distant Milky Way with UNIONS: NGC 5466 and its stellar stream

We examine the spatial clustering of blue horizontal branch (BHB) stars from the $\textit{u}$-band of the Canada-France Imaging Survey (CFIS, a component of the Ultraviolet Near-Infrared Optical Northern Survey, or UNIONS). All major groupings of stars are associated with previously known satellites, and among these is NGC 5466, a distant (16 kpc) globular cluster. NGC 5466 reportedly possesses a long stellar stream, although no individual members of the stream have previously been identified. Using both BHBs and more numerous red giant branch stars cross-matched to $\textit{Gaia}$ Data Release 2, we identify extended tidal tails from NGC 5466 that are both spatially and kinematically coherent. Interestingly, we find that this stream does not follow the same path as the previous detection at large distances from the cluster. We trace the stream across 31$^{\circ}$ of sky and show that it exhibits a very strong distance gradient ranging from 10 $<$ R$_{helio}$ $<$ 30 kpc. We compare our observations to simple dynamical models of the stream and find that they are able to broadly reproduce the overall path and kinematics. The fact that NGC 5466 is so distant, traces a wide range of Galactic distances, has an identified progenitor, and appears to have recently had an interaction with the Galaxy's disk, makes it a unique test-case for dynamical modelling of the Milky Way.

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arXiv2021

A re-assessment of strong line metallicity conversions in the machine learning era

Strong line metallicity calibrations are widely used to determine the gas phase metallicities of individual HII regions and entire galaxies. Over a decade ago, based on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4 (SDSS DR4), Kewley \& Ellison published the coefficients of third-order polynomials that can be used to convert between different strong line metallicity calibrations for global galaxy spectra. Here, we update the work of Kewley \& Ellison in three ways. First, by using a newer data release (DR7), we approximately double the number of galaxies used in polynomial fits, providing statistically improved polynomial coefficients. Second, we include in the calibration suite five additional metallicity diagnostics that have been proposed in the last decade and were not included by Kewley \& Ellison. Finally, we develop a new machine learning approach for converting between metallicity calibrations. The random forest algorithm is non-parametric and therefore more flexible than polynomial conversions, due to its ability to capture non-linear behaviour in the data. The random forest method yields the same accuracy as the (updated) polynomial conversions, but has the significant advantage that a single model can be applied over a wide range of metallicities, without the need to distinguish upper and lower branches in $R_{23}$ calibrations. The trained random forest is made publicly available for use in the community.

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arXiv2020

The hidden past of M92: Detection and characterization of a newly formed 17° long stellar stream using the Canada-France Imaging Survey

We present an analysis of the structure, kinematics and orbit of a newly found stellar stream emanating from the globular cluster M92 (NGC 6341). This stream was discovered in an improved matched-filter map of the outer Galaxy, based on a "color-color-magnitude" diagram, created using photometry from the Canada-France Imaging Survey (CFIS) and the Pan-STARRS 1 3$π$ survey (PS1). We find the stream to have a length of 17° (2.5 kpc at the distance of M92), a width dispersion of $0.29$°(42 pc) and a stellar mass of $[3.17 \pm{0.89}] \times 10^{4} $ M$_\odot$ ($10 \%$ of the stellar mass of the current main body of M92). We examine the kinematics of main sequence, red giant and blue horizontal branch stars belonging to the stream and that have proper motion measurements from the second data release of Gaia. N-body simulations suggest that the stream was likely formed very recently (during the last $\sim 500$ Myr) forcing us to question the orbital origin of this ancient, metal-poor globular cluster.

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arXiv2019

Dwarfs or giants? Stellar metallicities and distances in the Canada-France-Imaging-Survey from $ugrizG$ multi-band photometry

We present a new fully data-driven algorithm that uses photometric data from the Canada-France-Imaging-Survey (CFIS; $u$), Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1; $griz$), and Gaia ($G$) to discriminate between dwarf and giant stars and to estimate their distances and metallicities. The algorithm is trained and tested using the SDSS/SEGUE spectroscopic dataset and Gaia photometric/astrometric dataset. At [Fe/H]$<-1.2$, the algorithm succeeds in identifying more than 70% of the giants in the training/test set, with a dwarf contamination fraction below 30% (with respect to the SDSS/SEGUE dataset). The photometric metallicity estimates have uncertainties better than 0.2 dex when compared with the spectroscopic measurements. The distances estimated by the algorithm are valid out to a distance of at least $\sim 80$ kpc without requiring any prior on the stellar distribution, and have fully independent uncertainities that take into account both random and systematic errors. These advances allow us to estimate these stellar parameters for approximately 12 million stars in the photometric dataset. This will enable studies involving the chemical mapping of the distant outer disc and the stellar halo, including their kinematics using the Gaia proper motions. This type of algorithm can be applied in the Southern hemisphere to the first release of LSST data, thus providing an almost complete view of the external components of our Galaxy out to at least $\sim 80$ kpc. Critical to the success of these efforts will be ensuring well-defined spectroscopic training sets that sample a broad range of stellar parameters with minimal biases. A catalogue containing the training/test set and all relevant parameters within the public footprint of CFIS is available online.

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