arXiv subjects

João A. S. Amarante

Publications and source records attributed to João A. S. Amarante.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Low-$α$ Splash Population in the Milky Way

The Milky Way in-situ halo, also known as the Splash, consists of old (age $>$ 10 Gyr), metal-rich ([Fe/H] $> -0.7$), high-$α$ stars, i.e., thick disk-like chemistry, on halo-like orbits (eccentricity $>$ 0.6). Its origin is linked to stars formed in the disk and dynamically heated by either internal or external agents. In this work, we investigate its low-$α$ counterpart, the low-$α$ Splash, motivated by recent findings of an old thin disk population. We conjecture that any mechanism capable of heating disk stars should affect both of present-day high- and low-$α$ old populations. Using data from the APOGEE DR17 spectroscopic catalog, we identify metal-rich low-$α$ stars with halo-like kinematics similar to those of the classical high-$α$ Splash. We investigate their possible heating mechanisms using the GASTRO suite of simulations, which allows us to explore the effects of star-forming clumps as well as a major merger in the proto-disk of a Milky Way analog galaxy. Our main results show that only clumpy Milky Way models are able to produce Splash populations through scattering by clumps in the early Galaxy, including the low-$α$ counterpart, whereas the model including only the merger and without an early clumpy phase fails to produce these populations. In the models, the low-$α$ Splash corresponds to a subset of the old thin disk that was dynamically heated by the same mechanism responsible for the formation of the high-$α$ Splash.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

GASTRO library II: Exploring Chemical Bimodalities in Disk Galaxies with GSE-like Mergers and Massive Star-forming Clumps

We use several smoothed particle hydrodynamics+N-body models as part of the GASTRO library to study the role of high-density star-forming clumpy regions and a single merger on the formation of the $α$-rich and $α$-poor populations in the disk galaxies. These experiments are tailored to mimic what is expected to be the Gaia-Sausage/Enceladus (GSE) accretion event, which occurred circa 10 Gyr ago in the Milky Way (MW). We find that either an early clumpy phase or a retrograde merger significantly reduces the star formation rate (SFR) of the disk, giving rise to a chemical bimodality qualitatively similar to the MW's. The decrease of the SFR as the cause of the chemical bimodality is consistent with previous idealized and cosmological simulations. On the other hand, a prograde radial merger does not significantly modify the SFR of the disk, resulting in no clear chemical bimodality. We further show that stars originating from the inner regions ($R_{form}<4$ kpc) do not create the disk's chemical bimodality, although they can enhance it. Finally, only the models with an early clumpy phase can produce a significant fraction of old, age $>11$ Gyr, $α-$poor stars with disk-like orbits, similar to what has been recently observed in the MW. Our results strengthen the case of clumpy disky galaxies observed at redshift $z\approx 1-2$ as likely progenitors of our Galaxy.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

Exploring the ex-situ components within Gaia DR3

The presence of Gaia DR3 provides a large sample of stars with complete 6D information, offering a fertile ground for the exploration of stellar objects that were accreted to the Milky Way through ancient merger events. In this study, we developed a deep learning methodology to identify ex-situ stars within the Gaia DR3 catalogue. After two phases of training, our neural network (NN) model was capable of performing binary classification of stars based on input data consisting of 3D position and velocity, as well as actions. From the target sample of 27,085,748 stars, our NN model managed to identify 160,146 ex-situ stars. The metallicity distribution suggests that this ex-situ sample comprises multiple components but appears to be predominated by the Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus. We identified member stars of the Magellanic Clouds, Sagittarius, and 20 globular clusters throughout our examination. Furthermore, an extensive group of member stars from Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus, Thamnos, Sequoia, Helmi streams, Wukong, and Pontus were meticulously selected, constituting an ideal sample for the comprehensive study of substructures. Finally, we conducted a preliminary estimation to determine the proportions of ex-situ stars in the thin disc, thick disc, and halo, which resulted in percentages of 0.1%, 1.6%, and 63.2%, respectively. As the vertical height from the Galactic disc and distance from the Galactic centre increased, there was a corresponding upward trend in the ex-situ fraction of the target sample.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

The Metallicity Gradient of Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy Prior to Infall Constrained by S-PLUS Observations of its Tidal Stream

We study the metallicity distribution along the Sagittarius (Sgr) stream using photometric metallicities from S-PLUS DR4, combined with Gaia DR3 kinematics and APOGEE DR17 spectroscopy. Our analysis confirms that the leading arm (Galactic latitude $b > 0$) is systematically more metal-poor than the trailing arm ($b < 0$) by 0.15--0.20 dex, and reveals a clear negative metallicity gradient along the leading arm. The trailing arm shows no significant overall gradient but displays distinct inner (negative) and outer (positive) trends. These features are consistently recovered across different photometric estimators and agree with spectroscopic data. We compare these results with predictions from an $N$-body simulation, in which metallicities were assigned according to a set of imprinted radial gradients in the progenitor. We were able to constrain the original metallicity gradient of the Sgr progenitor to be between $-0.38$ and $-0.24$ dex kpc$^{-1}$ based on photometric data, and $-0.42$ to $-0.10$ dex kpc$^{-1}$ from APOGEE. These values are consistent with gradients observed in other Local Group dwarf galaxies. Our findings demonstrate that metallicity-sensitive photometric surveys such as S-PLUS are powerful tools for reconstructing the chemodynamical evolution of disrupted satellites.

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arXiv2026

The velocity field of our Milky Way outer stellar halo based on DESI DR2

Using 64,000 halo K giants from Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) second Data Release (DR2), we decompose the Milky Way (MW) stellar halo between 3 and 160 kpc into metal-rich (MR) and metal-poor (MP) components via a Gaussian mixture model (GMM). The two populations are nearly equal in number but chemically and kinematically distinct: MR stars occupy highly radial orbits with velocity anisotropy of beta ~0.94 and metallicity dispersion sigma([Fe/H]) ~0.17 dex, without obvious dependence on distance, and are mainly contributed by Gaia-Sausage/Enceladus (GSE) debris. MR component dominates the inner 30 kpc and re-emerges beyond 50 kpc, implying GSE debris can extend to ~70-80 kpc. MP stars exhibit a weaker radial bias of beta ~0.46, decreasing to -0.5 beyond 80 kpc, and with a larger metallicity dispersion of sigma([Fe/H]) ~0.46 dex, showing signatures of multiple minor mergers. Both components exhibit net prograde rotation at ~10-30 kpc with a stronger azimuthal signal in the MP population. The non-equilibrium motions of the outer halo (>50 kpc) are quantified with a dipole-plus-contraction velocity field. We find that the outer halo is simultaneously contracting (~-19 km/s, distance-independent) and subject to reflex motions (increases from -19 to -44 km/s with radius), reflecting the perturbation from the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We also confirm a linear dependence of mean polar velocity for the outer stellar halo on the dipole velocity field, a direct consequence of the LMC and MW interaction. Our results provide a quantitative distance-resolved description of the MW's last major accretion event and its ongoing response to the first infall of the LMC.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

The edge of the Milky Way's star-forming disc: Evidence from a 'U-shaped' stellar age profile

We leveraged reliable age and distance estimates from LAMOST-DR3 and APOGEE-DR17+AstroNN combined with \gaia\ data to perform a detailed analysis of the stellar age distribution in the Milky Way's (MW) outer disc using giant stars. Selecting stars near the midplane ($|z|<0.3$ kpc) on near-circular orbits ($λ_c > 0.9$), we analysed these independent datasets that employed different age-estimation methods. Our stringent kinematic selection criteria effectively exclude halo stars, ensuring that the observed age trends reflect genuine disc properties rather than contamination from older halo populations. Our results reveal a 'U-shaped' stellar age profile, where a negative gradient in the inner disc transitions to a positive gradient in the outer disc region. We identify the minimum in the stellar age profile at $R_{\rm min}=11.28 \pm 0.58$ kpc and $R_{\rm min}=12.15\pm 0.62$ kpc for the APOGEE-DR17 and LAMOST-DR3 samples, respectively. Using N-body+SPH simulations, we demonstrate that $R_{\rm min}$ corresponds to the break radius in the stellar density profile ($R_{\rm br}$), marking the edge of the Galaxy's star-forming disc. This break arises from a sharp decline in the star formation rate, with the outer positive age gradient produced by the radial migration of stars born inside $R_{\rm br}$. The cessation of star formation in the outer disc might be due to several mechanisms, including the dynamical influence of the bar's outer Lindblad resonance, the onset of the Galactic warp, or thermally regulated star formation. Overall, our results support the picture that the MW has a Type II (down-bending) stellar disc with a break at $R_{\rm br} \approx 11.28-12.15$ kpc, where the combination of star-formation cut-off and radial migration produces the observed U-shaped age profile.

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arXiv2026

A 3D Chemodynamical Census of Inner-Galaxy Metal-poor Giants to [Fe/H]~-3.5

The earliest assembly of the Milky Way remains poorly understood, yet the spatial, chemical, and kinematic properties of its most metal-poor stars provide a unique fossil record of its proto-Galaxy phase. Understanding how this ancient component formed is essential for linking near-field Galactic archaeology to high-redshift galaxy evolution. We construct the currently largest 3D map of inner-Galaxy metal-poor giants by combining several narrow/medium-band photometric surveys, reaching metallicities down to $\mathrm{[Fe/H]}\sim-3.5$. Our final sample contains 5,095,676 giants, including 1,717,610 stars with $\mathrm{[Fe/H]}<-1$. Across $-4\le \mathrm{[Fe/H]}<-1$, the density distribution reveals a centrally concentrated, flattened spheroidal component extending to $r_{\rm gc}\sim15$ kpc, together with a prominent overdensity near $X\sim-5$ kpc that is dominated by metal-poor stars on disklike orbits, with a kinematically hot background also present. The selection-function-corrected metallicity distribution function shows a distinct, very metal-poor component around $\mathrm{[Fe/H]}\sim-2.7$ that becomes most prominent at 1$<r_{\rm gc}<$3 kpc. Stars with $-3.5\lesssim\mathrm{[Fe/H]}\lesssim-1.4$ exhibit weak net rotation and low rotational support within $r_{\rm gc}<15$ kpc. Finally, we briefly note that the centrally enhanced very metal-poor component could be qualitatively consistent with one or more early dissipative build-up episodes (e.g., high-$z$ compaction/"blue-nugget" phases) as one possible interpretation.

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arXiv2025

Modelling the Milky Way's exoplanet population based on cosmological galaxy simulations

In this paper we aim to simulate realistic exoplanet populations across different regions of the MW by combining state-of-the-art cosmological simulations of our Galaxy with exoplanet formation models and observations. We model the exoplanet populations around single stars, using planet occurrence rates and multiplicity depending on stellar mass, metallicity, and planet type, and assign them physical parameters such as mass and orbital period. Focussing first on the solar vicinity, we find mostly metallicity-driven differences in the distributions of non-hosting and planet-hosting single stars. In our simulated solar neighbourhood, 52.5% of all planets are Earth-like (23% of them located in the Habitable Zone), 44% are super-Earths/Neptunes, and 3.5% are giant planets. A comparison with the census of Kepler exoplanets and candidates shows that, when taking into account the most relevant selection effects, we obtain a similar distribution of exoplanets compared to the observed population. However, we also detect significant differences in the exoplanet and host star distributions (e.g. more planets around F-type and red-giant stars compared to observations) that we attribute mostly to a too strong recent star formation and a too large disc scale height in the simulation, as well as to some caveats in our exoplanet population synthesis that will be addressed in future work. Extending our analysis to other regions of the simulated MW and to other simulated galaxies, we find that the relative percentages of planet types remain largely consistent as long as the simulated galaxy matches the morphology and mass of the MW. We have created a fast and flexible framework to produce exoplanet populations based on MW-like simulations that can easily be adapted to produce predictions for the yields of future exoplanet detection missions. (abridged)

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2025

Dark matter spiral arms in Milky Way-like halos

The coupling between the dark matter (DM) halo and the stellar disc is a key factor in galactic evolution. While the interaction between structures like the Galactic bar and DM halos has been explored (e.g. slowing down of the bar due to dynamical friction), the effect of spiral arms on the DM halo distribution has received limited attention. We analyze a suite of simulations featuring strong stellar spiral arms, ranging in complexity from test-particle models to fully cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. Using Fourier transforms, we characterize the phase and amplitude of the stellar spirals at different times and radii. We then apply the same methodology to DM particles near the stellar disc and compare trends in Fourier coefficients and phases between the two components. We detect a clear spiral arm signal in the DM distribution, correlated with the stellar spirals, confirming the reaction of the halo. The strength of the DM spirals consistently measures around 10\% of that of the stellar spiral arms. In the $N$-body simulation, the DM spiral persistently trails the stellar spiral arm by approximately $10^\circ$. A strong spiral signal of a few km\,s$^{-1}$ appears in the radial, azimuthal, and vertical velocities of halo particles, distinct from the stellar kinematic signature. In a test-particle simulation with an analytical spiral potential (omitting self-gravity), we reproduce a similar density and kinematic response, showing that the test-particle halo responds in the same way as the $N$-body halo. Finally, we also find the rest of the simulations, indicating that the dynamical signatures of the forced response in the DM halo are independent of the dynamical origin of the stellar spiral arms. We reveal the ubiquitous presence of DM spiral arms in Milky Way-like galaxies, driven by a forced response to the stellar spiral potential. (ABR)

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

Early Co-formation of the Milky Way's Thin and Thick Disks at Redshift z > 2

The Milky Way serves as a template for understanding the formation and evolution of late-type massive disk galaxies since we can obtain detailed chemical and kinematic information for large samples of individual stars. However, the early formation of the disk and the dichotomy between the chemical thick and thin disks remain under intense debate. Some mechanisms have been proposed to explain the formation of this dichotomy, such as the injection of metal-poor gas by a gas-rich merger such as Gaia-Sausage Enceladus (GSE), or by cosmic gas filaments, radial migration, and the presence of star-forming clumps at high redshift ($z > 2$). In this work, we combine astrometric data from the Gaia mission, chemical abundances from APOGEE and LAMOST spectroscopic surveys, and StarHorse ages to map the evolution of our Galaxy. The Bayesian isochrone-fitting code StarHorse can estimate ages for thousands of stars in the solar neighborhood, being most reliable for main sequence turnoff and sub-giants, computing distances and extinction simultaneously. From these samples, we show that (i) there is an old thin disk population ($>11$ Gyr) that indicates a period of co-formation between the thick and thin disks of the Milky Way before the GSE merger, i.e. the Galaxy itself could initiate the formation of a low-alpha disk without the need for a gas-rich merger, and (ii) this merger would have been important to stop the formation of stars in the thick disk.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

The S-PLUS Ultra-Short Survey: first data release

This paper presents the first public data release of the S-PLUS Ultra-Short Survey (USS), a photometric survey with short exposure times, covering approximately 9300 deg$^{2}$ of the Southern sky. The USS utilizes the Javalambre 12-band magnitude system, including narrow and medium-band and broad-band filters targeting prominent stellar spectral features. The primary objective of the USS is to identify bright, extremely metal-poor (EMP; [Fe/H] $\leq -3$) and ultra metal-poor (UMP; [Fe/H] $\leq -4$) stars for further analysis using medium- and high-resolution spectroscopy.}{This paper provides an overview of the survey observations, calibration method, data quality, and data products. Additionally, it presents the selection of EMP and UMP candidates.}{The data from the USS were reduced and calibrated using the same methods as presented in the S-PLUS DR2. An additional step was introduced, accounting for the offset between the observed magnitudes off the USS and the predicted magnitudes from the very low-resolution Gaia XP spectra.}{This first release contains data for 163 observed fields totaling $\sim$324 deg$^{2}$ along the Celestial Equator. The magnitudes obtained from the USS are well-calibrated, showing a difference of $\sim 15$ mmag compared to the predicted magnitudes by the GaiaXPy toolkit. By combining colors and magnitudes, 140 candidates for EMP or UMP have been identified for follow-up studies.}{The S-PLUS USS DR1 is an important milestone in the search for bright metal-poor stars, with magnitudes in the range 10 $ < r \leq 14$. The USS is an ongoing survey; in the near future, it will provide many more bright metal-poor candidate stars for spectroscopic follow-up.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Mapping the anisotropic Galactic stellar halo with Blue Horizontal Branch stars

We use Legacy Survey photometric data to probe the stellar halo in multiple directions of the sky using a probabilistic methodology to identify Blue Horizontal Branch (BHB) stars. The measured average radial density profile follows a double power law in the range $ 5 < r_{gc}/{\rm kpc} < 120$, with a density break at $r_{gc}\approx20$ kpc. This description, however, falls short, depending on the chosen line-of-sight, with some regions showing no signature of a break in the profile and a wide range of density slopes, e.g. outer slope $-5.5 \lesssim α_{out} \lesssim -4$, pointing towards a highly anisotropic stellar halo. This explains in part the wide range of density profiles reported in the literature owing to different tracers and sky coverage. Using our detailed 3-D stellar halo density map, we quantify the shape of the Pisces overdensity associated with the transient wake response of the Galaxy's (dark) halo to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Measured in the LMC's coordinate system, Pisces stands above the background, is 60 degrees long and 25 degrees wide and aligned with the LMC's orbit. This would correspond to a wake width of $\sim 32$ kpc at $\sim 70$ kpc. We do not find a statistically significant signature of the collective response in density as previously reported in the literature measured with K giant stars, despite our larger numbers. We release the catalogue constructed in this study with 95,446 possible BHB stars and their BHB probability.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

Chemodynamical Properties and Ages of Metal-Poor Stars in S-PLUS

Metal-poor stars are key to our understanding of the early stages of chemical evolution in the Universe. New multi-filter surveys, such as the Southern Photometric Local Universe Survey (S-PLUS), are greatly advancing our ability to select low-metallicity stars. In this work, we analyse the chemodynamical properties and ages of 522 metal-poor candidates selected from the S-PLUS data release 3. About 92% of these stars were confirmed to be metal-poor ([Fe/H] $\leq -1$) based on previous medium-resolution spectroscopy. We calculated the dynamical properties of a subsample containing 241 stars, using the astrometry from Gaia Data Release 3. Stellar ages are estimated by a Bayesian isochronal method formalized in this work. We analyse the metallicity distribution of these metal-poor candidates separated into different subgroups of total velocity, dynamical properties, and ages. Our results are used to propose further restrictions to optimize the selection of metal-poor candidates in S-PLUS. The proposed astrometric selection ($\mathrm{parallax}>0.85$ mas) is the one that returns the highest fraction of extremely metal-poor stars (16.3% have [Fe/H] $\leq -3$); the combined selection provides the highest fraction of very metal-poor stars (91.0% have [Fe/H] $\leq -2$), whereas the dynamical selection (eccentricity > 0.35 and diskness < 0.75) is better for targetting metal-poor (99.5% have [Fe/H] $\leq -1$). Using only S-PLUS photometric selections, it is possible to achieve selection fractions of 15.6%, 88.5% and 98.3% for metallicities below $-$3, $-$2 and $-$1, respectively. We also show that it is possible to use S-PLUS to target metal-poor stars in halo substructures such as Gaia-Sausage/Enceladus, Sequoia, Thamnos and the Helmi stream.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Phase-space Properties and Chemistry of the Sagittarius Stellar Stream Down to the Extremely Metal-poor ($\rm[Fe/H] \lesssim -3$) Regime

In this work, we study the phase-space and chemical properties of Sagittarius (Sgr) stream, the tidal tails produced by the ongoing destruction of Sgr dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, focusing on its very metal-poor (VMP; $\rm[Fe/H] < -2$) content. We combine spectroscopic and astrometric information from SEGUE and $Gaia$ EDR3, respectively, with data products from a new large-scale run of $\texttt{StarHorse}$ spectro-photometric code. Our selection criteria yields ${\sim}1600$ stream members, including ${>}200$ VMP stars. We find the leading arm ($b>0^\circ$) of Sgr stream to be more metal-poor, by ${\sim}0.2$ dex, than the trailing one ($b<0^\circ$). With a subsample of turnoff and subgiant stars, we estimate this substructure's stellar population to be ${\sim}1$ Gyr older than the thick disk's. With the aid of an $N$-body model of the Sgr system, we verify that simulated particles stripped earlier (${>}2$ Gyr ago) have present-day phase-space properties similar to lower-metallicity stream stars. Conversely, those stripped more recently (${<}2$ Gyr) are preferentially more akin to metal-rich ($\rm[Fe/H] > -1$) members of the stream. Such correlation between kinematics and chemistry can be explained by the existence of a dynamically hotter, less centrally-concentrated, and more metal-poor population in Sgr dSph prior to its disruption, implying that this galaxy was able to develop a metallicity gradient before its accretion. Finally, we discovered several carbon-enhanced metal-poor ($\rm[C/Fe] > +0.7$ and $\rm[Fe/H] \leq -1.5$) stars in Sgr stream, which is in tension with current observations of its remaining core where such objects are not found.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

GASTRO library I: the simulated chemodynamical properties of several GSE-like stellar halos

The Milky Way stellar halo contains relics of ancient mergers that tell the story of our Galaxy's formation. Some of them are identified due to their similarity in energy, actions and chemistry, referred to as the "chemodynamical space", and are often attributed to distinct merger events. It is also known that our Galaxy went through a significant merger event that shaped the local stellar halo during its first Gyr. Previous studies using $N$-body only and cosmological hydrodynamical simulations have shown that such single massive merger can produce several "signatures" in the chemodynamical space, which can potentially be misinterpreted as distinct merger events. Motivated by these, in this work we use a subset of the GASTRO, library which consists of several SPH+$N$-body models of single accretion event in a Milky Way-like galaxy. Here, we study models with orbital properties similar to the main merger event of our Galaxy and explore the implications to known stellar halo substructures. We find that: $i.$ supernova feedback efficiency influences the satellite's structure and orbital evolution, resulting in distinct chemodynamical features for models with the same initial conditions, $ii.$ very retrograde high energy stars are the most metal-poor of the accreted dwarf galaxy and could be misinterpreted as a distinct merger $iii.$ the most bound stars are more metal-rich in our models, the opposite of what is observed in the Milky Way, suggesting a secondary massive merger, and finally $iv.$ our models can reconcile other known substructures to an unique progenitor.

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arXiv2022

The Unmixed Debris of Gaia-Sausage/Enceladus in the Form of a Pair of Halo Stellar Overdensities

In the first billion years after its formation, the Galaxy underwent several mergers with dwarf satellites of various masses. The debris of Gaia-Sausage/Enceladus (GSE), the galaxy responsible for the last significant merger of the Milky Way, dominates the inner halo and has been suggested to be the progenitor of both the Hercules-Aquila Cloud (HAC) and Virgo Overdensity (VOD). We combine SEGUE, APOGEE, Gaia, and StarHorse distances to characterize the chemodynamical properties and verify the link between HAC, VOD, and GSE. We find that the orbital eccentricity distributions of the stellar overdensities and GSE are comparable. We also find that they have similar, strongly peaked, metallicity distribution functions, reinforcing the hypothesis of common origin. Furthermore, we show that HAC and VOD are indistinguishable from the prototypical GSE population within all chemical-abundance spaces analyzed. All these evidences combined provide a clear demonstration that the GSE merger is the main progenitor of the stellar populations found within these halo overdensities.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Searching for Extragalactic Exoplanetary Systems: the Curious Case of BD+20 2457

Planets and their host stars carry a long-term memory of their origin in their chemical compositions. Thus, identifying planets formed in different environments improves our understating of planetary formation. Although restricted to detecting exoplanets within the solar vicinity, we might be able to detect planetary systems that formed in small external galaxies and later merged with the Milky Way. In fact, Gaia data have unequivocally shown that the Galaxy underwent several significant minor mergers during its first billion years of formation. The stellar debris of one of these mergers, Gaia-Enceladus (GE), is thought to have built up most of the stellar halo in the solar neighborhood. In this Letter, we investigate the origin of known planet-host stars combining data from the NASA Exoplanet Archive with Gaia EDR3 and large-scale spectroscopic surveys. We adopt a kinematic criterion and identify 42 stars associated with the Milky Way's thick disk and one halo star. The only halo star identified, BD+20 2457, known to harbor two exoplanets, moves on a retrograde and highly eccentric orbit. Its chemical abundance pattern situates the star at the border between the thick disk, the old halo, and accreted populations. Given its orbital parameters and chemical properties, we suggest that BD+20 2457 is likely formed in the protodisk of the Galaxy, but we do not exclude the possibility of the star belonging to the debris of GE. Finally, we estimate a minimum age and mass limit for the star, which has implications for its planetary system and will be tested with future Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite observations.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2021

The relative efficiencies of bars and clumps in driving disc stars to retrograde motion

The presence of stars on retrograde orbits in disc galaxies is usually attributed to accretion events, both via direct accretion, as well as through the heating of the disc stars. Recent studies have shown that retrograde orbits can also be produced via scattering by dense clumps, which are often present in the early stages of a galaxy's evolution. However, so far it has been unclear whether other internally-driven mechanisms, such as bars, are also capable of driving retrograde motion. Therefore, in this paper, we investigate the efficiencies with which bars and clumps produce retrograde orbits in disc galaxies. We do this by comparing the retrograde fractions and the spatial distributions of the retrograde populations in four $N$-body$+$smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of isolated disc galaxies spanning a range of evolutionary behaviours. We find that both bars and clumps are capable of generating significant retrograde populations of order $\sim 10\%$ of all stars. We also find that while clump-driven retrograde stars may be found at large galactocentric radii, bar-driven retrograde stars remain in the vicinity of the bar, even if the bar dissolves. Consequently, we find that retrograde stars in the Solar Neighbourhood in the clumpy models are exclusively clump-driven, but this is a trace population, constituting $0.01-0.04\%$ of the total stellar population in this region. Finally, we find that neither bars (including dissolving ones) nor clumps in the models are able to produce rotationally supported counter-rotating discs.

astro-ph.GA↗