arXiv subjects

K. B. W. McQuinn

Publications and source records attributed to K. B. W. McQuinn.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Dust in the very metal-poor galaxy Sextans A with JWST. I: Characterizing the evolved stellar population of Sextans A based on JWST observations and stellar evolution models

The nearby star-forming dwarf galaxy Sextans A offers a unique window into galaxy evolution in the early Universe, owing to its extremely low metallicity (about 1-7% Zsun). Recent JWST imaging of Sextans A spanning 1-21 micron enables a detailed characterization of its dusty stellar populations and interstellar medium. In this work, we compare the observed JWST color-magnitude distributions of evolved stars with stellar evolution and dust-formation models to characterize the properties of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) population, including progenitor mass, formation epoch, metallicity, and dust production. Evolutionary tracks for 0.8-7 Msun stars with metallicity Z=10^-3 provide good agreement with the overall distribution of AGB stars in Sextans A. More than 90% of the AGB population occupies a nearly vertical sequence in the color-magnitude diagrams, corresponding to stars spanning a wide range of masses and ages but exhibiting little or no circumstellar dust. This sequence appears to be dominated by oxygen-rich (M-type) AGB stars and reveals that the F444W flux is a robust luminosity diagnostic. A small subset of sources displays strong infrared excesses and is dominated by carbon stars descending from 1.25-1.5 Msun progenitors that formed about 2-3 Gyr ago and are currently in the final AGB phases. Their MIRI colors imply very low metallicities, consistent with estimates from the red giant branch morphology (about 1-2% Zsun). Finally, we show that the JWST/NIRCam F277W-F444W color serves as an effective proxy for the dust production rate, with models predicting rates up to 10^-7 Msun/yr for the reddest sources in Sextans A.

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arXiv2025

Discovery of SiC and Iron Dust Around AGB Stars in the very Metal-Poor Sextans A Dwarf Galaxy with JWST: Implications for Dust Production at High Redshift

Low-resolution infrared spectroscopy from JWST confirms the presence of SiC and likely metallic iron dust around asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Sextans A dwarf galaxy, which has a metallicity ~1%-7% Z_sun. While metal-poor carbon-rich AGB stars are known to produce copious amounts of amorphous carbon dust owing to the dredge up of newly synthesized carbon, this is the first time that Si- and Fe-bearing dust has been detected at this extreme metallicity. Of the six AGB stars observed, one is an intermediate-mass (~1.2-4 M_sun) carbon star showing SiC dust, and another is an oxygen-rich M-type star with mass ~4-5 M_sun that is likely undergoing hot bottom burning. The infrared excess of the M-type star is strong, but featureless. We tested multiple dust species, and find that it is best fit with metallic iron dust. Assuming its dust-production rate stays constant over the final 2-3x10^4 yr of its evolution, this star will produce ~0.9-3.7 times the iron dust mass predicted by models, with the range depending on the adopted stellar mass. The implications for dust production in high-redshift galaxies are potentially significant, especially regarding the assumed dust species used in dust evolution models and the timescale of AGB dust formation. Stars on the upper end of the AGB mass range can begin producing dust as early as 30-50 Myr after they form, and they may therefore rival dust production by supernovae at high redshift.

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arXiv2024

The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program VII. Stress Testing the NIRCam Exposure Time Calculator

We empirically assess estimates from v3.0 of the JWST NIRCam Exposure Time Calculator (ETC) using observations of resolved stars in Local Group targets taken as part of the Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science (ERS) Program. For bright stars, we find that: (i) purely Poissonian estimates of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are in good agreement between the ETC and observations, but non-ideal effects (e.g., flat field uncertainties) are the current limiting factor in the photometric precision that can be achieved; (ii) source position offsets, relative to the detector pixels, have a large impact on the ETC saturation predictions and introducing sub-pixel dithers in the observation design can improve the saturation limits by up to ~1 mag. For faint stars, for which the sky dominates the error budget, we find that the choice in ETC extraction strategy (e.g., aperture size relative to point spread function size) can affect the exposure time estimates by up to a factor of 5. We provide guidelines for configuring the ETC aperture photometry to produce SNR predictions in line with the ERS data. Finally, we quantify the effects of crowding on the SNRs over a large dynamic range in stellar density and provide guidelines for approximating the effects of crowding on SNRs predicted by the ETC.

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arXiv2021

WALLABY Pre-Pilot Survey: HI Content of the Eridanus Supergroup

We present observations of the Eridanus supergroup obtained with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) as part of the pre-pilot survey for the Widefield ASKAP L-band Legacy All-sky Blind Survey (WALLABY). The total number of detected HI sources is 55, of which 12 are background galaxies not associated with the Eridanus supergroup. Two massive HI clouds are identified and large HI debris fields are seen in the NGC 1359 interacting galaxy pair, and the face-on spiral galaxy NGC 1385. We describe the data products from the source finding algorithm and present the basic parameters. The presence of distorted HI morphology in all detected galaxies suggests ongoing tidal interactions within the subgroups. The Eridanus group has a large fraction of HI deficient galaxies as compared to previously studied galaxy groups. These HI deficient galaxies are not found at the centre of the group. We find that galaxies in the Eridanus supergroup do not follow the general trend of the atomic gas fraction versus stellar mass scaling relation, which indicates that the scaling relation changes with environmental density. In general, the majority of these galaxies are actively forming stars.

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arXiv2021

WALLABY pre-pilot survey: Two dark clouds in the vicinity of NGC 1395

We present the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) WALLABY pre-pilot observations of two `dark' HI sources (with HI masses of a few times 10^8 Msol and no known stellar counterpart) that reside within 363 kpc of NGC 1395, the most massive early-type galaxy in the Eridanus group of galaxies. We investigate whether these `dark' HI sources have resulted from past tidal interactions or whether they are an extreme class of low surface brightness galaxies. Our results suggest that both scenarios are possible, and not mutually exclusive. The two `dark' HI sources are compact, reside in relative isolation and are more than 159 kpc away from their nearest HI-rich galaxy neighbour. Regardless of origin, the HI sizes and masses of both `dark' HI sources are consistent with the HI size-mass relationship that is found in nearby low-mass galaxies, supporting the possibility that these HI sources are an extreme class of low surface brightness galaxies. We identified three analogues of candidate primordial `dark' HI galaxies within the TNG100 cosmological, hydrodynamic simulation. All three model analogues are dark matter-dominated, have assembled most of their mass 12-13 Gyr ago, and have not experienced much evolution until cluster infall 1-2 Gyr ago. Our WALLABY pre-pilot science results suggest that the upcoming large area HI surveys will have a significant impact on our understanding of low surface brightness galaxies and the physical processes that shape them.

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arXiv2019

Physical parameters of red supergiants in dwarf irregular galaxies in the Local Group

Increasing the statistics of evolved massive stars in the Local Group enables investigating their evolution at different metallicities. During the late stages of stellar evolution, the physics of some phenomena, such as episodic and systematic mass loss, are not well constrained. For example, the physical properties of red supergiants (RSGs) in different metallicity regimes remain poorly understood. Thus, we initiated a systematic study of RSGs in dwarf irregular galaxies (dIrrs) in the Local Group. The target selection is based on 3.6 $μ$m and 4.5 $μ$m photometry from archival Spitzer Space Telescope images of nearby galaxies. We selected 46 targets in the dIrrs IC 10, IC 1613, Sextans B, and the Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte (WLM) galaxy that we observed with the GTC-OSIRIS and VLT-FORS2 instruments. We used several photometric techniques together with a spectral energy distribution analysis to derive the luminosities and effective temperatures of known and newly discovered RSGs. We identified and spectroscopically confirmed 4 new RSGs, 5 previously known RSGs, and 5 massive asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. We added known objects from previous observations. In total, we present spectral classification and fundamental physical parameters of 25 late-type massive stars in the following dIrrs: Sextans A, Sextans B, IC 10, IC 1613, Pegasus, Phoenix, and WLM. This includes 17 RSGs and 8 AGB stars that have been identified here and previously. Based on our observational results and PARSEC evolutionary models, we draw the following conclusions: (i) a trend to higher minimum effective temperatures at lower metallicities and (ii) the maximum luminosity of RSGs appears to be constant at $log$($L/L$$_{\odot}$) $\approx$ $5.5$, independent of the metallicity of the host environment (up to $\mathrm{[Fe/H]}$ $\approx$ $-1$ dex).

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arXiv2019

Tentative Detection of the Circumgalactic Medium of the Isolated Low-Mass Dwarf Galaxy WLM

We report a tentative detection of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of WLM, an isolated, low-mass (log$M_*/M_\odot\approx7.6$), dwarf irregular galaxy in the Local Group (LG). We analyze an HST/COS archival spectrum of a quasar sightline (PHL2525), which is 45 kpc (0.5 virial radius) from WLM and close to the Magellanic Stream (MS). Along this sightline, two ion absorbers are detected in Si II, Si III, Si IV, C II, and C IV at velocities of $\sim$-220 km s$^{-1}$ (Component v-220) and $\sim$-150 km s$^{-1}$ (Component v-150). To identify their origins, we study the position-velocity alignment of the components with WLM and the nearby MS. Near the Magellanic longitude of PHL2525, the MS-related neutral and ionized gas moves at $\lesssim-190$ km s$^{-1}$, suggesting an MS origin for Component v-220, but not for Component v-150. Because PHL2525 passes near WLM and Component v-150 is close to WLM's systemic velocity ($\sim$-132 km s$^{-1}$), it is likely that Component v-150 arises from the galaxy's CGM. This results in a total Si mass in WLM's CGM of $M_{\rm Si}^{\rm CGM}\sim(0.2-1.0)\times10^5~M_\odot$ using assumption from other COS dwarf studies. Comparing $M_{\rm Si}^{\rm CGM}$ to the total Si mass synthesized in WLM over its lifetime ($\sim$1.3$\times10^5~M_\odot$), we find $\sim$3% is locked in stars, $\sim$6% in the ISM, $\sim$15%-77% in the CGM, and the rest ($\sim$14%-76%) is likely lost beyond the virial radius. Our finding resonates with other COS dwarf galaxy studies and theoretical predictions that low-mass galaxies can easily lose metals into their CGM due to stellar feedback and shallow gravitational potential.

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arXiv2018

LSST Observing Strategy White Paper: LSST Observations of WFIRST Deep Fields

The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is expected to launch in the mid-2020s. With its wide-field near-infrared (NIR) camera, it will survey the sky to unprecedented detail. As part of normal operations and as the result of multiple expected dedicated surveys, WFIRST will produce several relatively wide-field (tens of square degrees) deep (limiting magnitude of 28 or fainter) fields. In particular, a planned supernova survey is expected to image 3 deep fields in the LSST footprint roughly every 5 days over 2 years. Stacking all data, this survey will produce, over all WFIRST supernova fields in the LSST footprint, ~12-25 deg^2 and ~5-15 deg^2 regions to depths of ~28 mag and ~29 mag, respectively. We suggest LSST undertake mini-surveys that will match the WFIRST cadence and simultaneously observe the supernova survey fields during the 2-year WFIRST supernova survey, achieving a stacked depth similar to that of the WFIRST data. We also suggest additional observations of these same regions throughout the LSST survey to get deep images earlier, have long-term monitoring in the fields, and produce deeper images overall. These fields will provide a legacy for cosmology, extragalactic, and transient/variable science.

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arXiv2017

An Infrared Census of DUST in Nearby Galaxies with Spitzer (DUSTiNGS). IV. Discovery of High-Redshift AGB Analogs

The survey for DUST in Nearby Galaxies with Spitzer (DUSTiNGS) identified several candidate Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars in nearby dwarf galaxies and showed that dust can form even in very metal-poor systems (Z ~ 0.008 $Z_\odot$). Here, we present a follow-up survey with WFC3/IR on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), using filters that are capable of distinguishing carbon-rich (C-type) stars from oxygen-rich (M-type) stars: F127M, F139M, and F153M. We include six star-forming DUSTiNGS galaxies (NGC 147, IC 10, Pegasus dIrr, Sextans B, Sextans A, and Sag DIG), all more metal-poor than the Magellanic Clouds and spanning 1 dex in metallicity. We double the number of dusty AGB stars known in these galaxies and find that most are carbon rich. We also find 26 dusty M-type stars, mostly in IC 10. Given the large dust excess and tight spatial distribution of these M-type stars, they are most likely on the upper end of the AGB mass range (stars undergoing Hot Bottom Burning). Theoretical models do not predict significant dust production in metal-poor M-type stars, but we see evidence for dust excess around M-type stars even in the most metal-poor galaxies in our sample (12+log(O/H) = 7.26-7.50). The low metallicities and inferred high stellar masses (up to ~10 $M_\odot$) suggest that AGB stars can produce dust very early in the evolution of galaxies (~30 Myr after they form), and may contribute significantly to the dust reservoirs seen in high-redshift galaxies.

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arXiv2015

Identification of dusty massive stars in star-forming dwarf irregular galaxies in the Local Group with mid-IR photometry

Increasing the statistics of spectroscopically confirmed evolved massive stars in the Local Group enables the investigation of the mass loss phenomena that occur in these stars in the late stages of their evolution. We aim to complete the census of luminous mid-IR sources in star-forming dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies of the Local Group. To achieve this we employed mid-IR photometric selection criteria to identify evolved massive stars, such as red supergiants (RSGs) and luminous blue variables (LBVs), by using the fact that these types of stars have infrared excess due to dust. The method is based on 3.6 $μ$m and 4.5 $μ$m photometry from archival ${\it Spitzer}$ Space Telescope images of nearby galaxies. We applied our criteria to 4 dIrr galaxies: Pegasus, Phoenix, Sextans A, and WLM, selecting 79 point sources, which we observed with the VLT/FORS2 spectrograph in multi-object spectroscopy mode. We identified 13 RSGs, of which 6 are new discoveries, also 2 new emission line stars, and 1 candidate yellow supergiant. Among the other observed objects we identified carbon stars, foreground giants, and background objects, such as a quasar and an early-type galaxy that contaminate our survey. We use the results of our spectroscopic survey to revise the mid-IR and optical selection criteria for identifying RSGs from photometric measurements. The optical selection criteria are more efficient in separating extragalactic RSGs from foreground giants than mid-IR selection criteria, however the mid-IR selection criteria are useful for identifying dusty stars in the Local Group. This work serves as a basis for further investigation of the newly discovered dusty massive stars and their host galaxies.

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arXiv2014

An Infrared Census of DUST in Nearby Galaxies with Spitzer (DUSTiNGS), II. Discovery of Metal-poor Dusty AGB Stars

The DUSTiNGS survey (DUST in Nearby Galaxies with Spitzer) is a 3.6 and 4.5 micron imaging survey of 50 nearby dwarf galaxies designed to identify dust-producing Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars and massive stars. Using two epochs, spaced approximately six months apart, we identify a total of 526 dusty variable AGB stars (sometimes called "extreme" or x-AGB stars; [3.6]-[4.5]>0.1 mag). Of these, 111 are in galaxies with [Fe/H] < -1.5 and 12 are in galaxies with [Fe/H] < -2.0, making them the most metal-poor dust-producing AGB stars known. We compare these identifications to those in the literature and find that most are newly discovered large-amplitude variables, with the exception of approximately 30 stars in NGC 185 and NGC 147, one star in IC 1613, and one star in Phoenix. The chemical abundances of the x-AGB variables are unknown, but the low metallicities suggest that they are more likely to be carbon-rich than oxygen-rich and comparisons with existing optical and near-IR photometry confirms that 70 of the x-AGB variables are confirmed or likely carbon stars. We see an increase in the pulsation amplitude with increased dust production, supporting previous studies suggesting that dust production and pulsation are linked. We find no strong evidence linking dust production with metallicity, indicating that dust can form in very metal-poor environments.

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arXiv2010

The evolution of stellar structures in dwarf galaxies

We present a study of the variation of spatial structure of stellar populations within dwarf galaxies as a function of the population age. We use deep Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging of nearby dwarf galaxies in order to resolve individual stars and create composite colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) for each galaxy. Using the obtained CMDs, we select Blue Helium Burning stars (BHeBs), which can be unambiguously age-dated by comparing the absolute magnitude of individual stars with stellar isochrones. Additionally, we select a very young (<10 Myr) population of OB stars for a subset of the galaxies based on the tip of the young main-sequence. By selecting stars in different age ranges we can then study how the spatial distribution of these stars evolves with time. We find, in agreement with previous studies, that stars are born within galaxies with a high degree of substructure which is made up of a continuous distribution of clusters, groups and associations from parsec to hundreds of parsec scales. These structures disperse on timescales of tens to hundreds of Myr, which we quantify using the two-point correlation function and the Q-parameter developed by Cartwright & Whitworth (2004). On galactic scales, we can place lower limits on the time it takes to remove the original structure (i.e., structure survives for at least this long), tevo, which varies between ~100~Myr (NGC~2366) and ~350 Myr (DDO~165). This is similar to what we have found previously for the SMC (~80~Myr) and the LMC (~175 Myr). We do not find any strong correlations between tevo and the luminosity of the host galaxy.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2007

The M33 Variable Star Population Revealed by Spitzer

We analyze five epochs of Spitzer Space Telescope/Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) observations of the nearby spiral galaxy M33. Each epoch covered nearly a square degree at 3.6, 4.5, and 8.0 microns. The point source catalog from the full dataset contains 37,650 stars. The stars have luminosities characteristic of the asymptotic giant branch and can be separated into oxygen-rich and carbon-rich populations by their [3.6] - [4.5] colors. The [3.6] - [8.0] colors indicate that over 80% of the stars detected at 8.0 microns have dust shells. Photometric comparison of epochs using conservative criteria yields a catalog of 2,923 variable stars. These variables are most likely long-period variables amidst an evolved stellar population. At least one-third of the identified carbon stars are variable.

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