arXiv subjects

K. Sadakane

Publications and source records attributed to K. Sadakane.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

The DART imaging and CaT survey of the Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

As part of the DART project we have used the ESO/2.2m Wide Field Imager in conjunction with the VLT/FLAMES GIRAFFE spectrograph to study the detailed properties of the resolved stellar population of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy out to and beyond its tidal radius. We re-derived the structural parameters of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal using our wide field imaging covering the galaxy out to its tidal radius, and analysed the spatial distribution of the Fornax stars of different ages as selected from Colour-Magnitude Diagram analysis. We have obtained accurate velocities and metallicities from spectra in the CaII triplet wavelength region for 562 Red Giant Branch stars which have velocities consistent with membership in Fornax dwarf spheroidal. We have found evidence for the presence of at least three distinct stellar components: a young population (few 100 Myr old) concentrated in the centre of the galaxy, visible as a Main Sequence in the Colour-Magnitude Diagram; an intermediate age population (2-8 Gyr old); and an ancient population (> 10Gyr),which are distinguishable from each other kinematically, from the metallicity distribution and in the spatial distribution of stars found in the Colour-Magnitude Diagram. From our spectroscopic analysis we find that the ``metal rich'' stars ([Fe/H]> -1.3) show a less extended and more concentrated spatial distribution, and display a colder kinematics than the ``metal poor'' stars ([Fe/H<-1.3). There is tentative evidence that the ancient stellar population in the centre of Fornax does not exhibit equilibrium kinematics. This could be a sign of a relatively recent accretion of external material.

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arXiv2004

Subaru/HDS Abundances in Three Giant Stars in the Ursa Minor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

With the HDS (High Dispersion Spectrograph) on the Subaru telescope, we obtained high resolution optical region spectra of three red giant stars (cos 4, cos 82, and cos 347) in the Ursa Minor dwarf spheriodal galaxy. Chemical abundances in these stars have been analysed for 26 elements including alpha-, iron-peak, and neutron capture elements. All three stars show low abundances of alpha-elements (Mg, Si, and Ca) and two stars (cos 82 and cos 347) show high abundance of Mn compared to Galactic halo stars of similar metallicity. One star (cos 4) has been confirmed to be very metal deficient ([Fe/H]=-2.7) and found to show anomalously low abundances of Mn, Cu, and Ba. In another star cos 82 ([Fe/H]=-1.5), we have found large excess of heavy neutron-capture elements with the general abundance pattern similar to the scaled solar system r-process abundance curve. These observational results are rather puzzling: low abundances of alpha-elements and high abundance of Mn seem to sugggest a significant contribution of SNe Ia at low metallicity, while there is no hint of s-process (i.e., AGB stars) contribution even at [Fe/H]=-1.5, suggesting a peculiar nucleosynthetic history of the UMi dSph galaxy.

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arXiv2004

Two distinct ancient components in the Sculptor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy: First Results from DART

We have found evidence for the presence of two distinct ancient stellar components (both geq 10 Gyr old) in the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy. We used the ESO Wide Field Imager (WFI) in conjunction with the VLT/FLAMES spectrograph to study the properties of the resolved stellar population of Sculptor out to and beyond the tidal radius. We find that two components are discernible in the spatial distribution of Horizontal Branch stars in our imaging, and in the [Fe/H] and v_hel distributions for our large sample of spectroscopic measurements. They can be generally described as a ``metal-poor'' component ([Fe/H]< -1.7) and a ``metal-rich'' component ([Fe/H]> -1.7). The metal-poor stars are more spatially extended than the metal-rich stars, and they also appear to be kinematically distinct. These results provide an important insight into the formation processes of small systems in the early universe and the conditions found there. Even this simplest of galaxies appears to have had a surprisingly complex early evolution.

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arXiv2004

Spectroscopic Studies of Extremely Metal-Poor Stars with Subaru/HDS:I. Observational Data

We have obtained high-resolution (R $\simeq$ 50,000 or 90,000), high-quality (S/N $\ga$ 100) spectra of 22 very metal-poor stars ([Fe/H] $\la$ -2.5) with the High Dispersion Spectrograph fabricated for the 8.2m Subaru Telescope. The spectra cover the wavelength range from 3500 to 5100 Å; equivalent widths are measured for isolated lines of numerous elemental species, including the $α$ elements, the iron-peak elements, and the light and heavy neutron-capture elements. Errors in the measurements and comparisons with previous studies are discussed. These data will be used to perform detailed abundance analyses in the following papers of this series. Radial velocities are also reported, and are compared with previous studies. At least one moderately r-process-enhanced metal-poor star, HD 186478, exhibits evidence of a small-amplitude radial velocity variation, confirming the binary status noted previously. During the course of this initial program, we have discovered a new moderately r-process-enhanced, very metal-poor star, CS 30306-132 ([Fe/H] $= -2.4$; [Eu/Fe] $= +0.85$), which is discussed in detail in the companion paper.

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arXiv2004

Spectroscopic Studies of Extremly Metal-Poor Stars with Subaru/HDS:II.The r-process Elements, Including Thorium

We present the abundance analyses for the neutron-capture elements, and discuss the observed abundance distributions in very metal-poor stars with excesses of r-process elements. As has been found by previous abundance studies, the star-to-star scatter in the abundances of neutron-capture elements are very large. The abundance patterns of the heavy neutron-capture elements (56 $\leq$ Z $\leq$ 70) in seven objects with moderate to large excesses of the neutron-capture elements are similar to that of the solar system r-process component. These results strongly suggest that the heavy neutron-capture elements in these objects are primarily synthesized by the r-process. On the other hand, the abundance ratios of the light neutron-capture elements (38 $\leq$ Z $\leq$ 46) exhibit a rather large dispersion. Our inspection of the correlation between Sr and Ba abundances in very metal-poor stars reveals that the dispersion of the Sr abundances clearly decreases with increasing Ba abundance. This results support previous suggestions that the light neutron-capture elements are likely to have been produced in different astrophysical sites from those associated with the production of the heavier ones. The Th/Eu abundance ratios (log(Th/Eu)) measured for the seven r-process-enhanced stars range from -0.10 to -0.59. Since these very metal-poor stars are believed to be formed in the early Galaxy, this result means that a small dispersion appears in the abundance ratios between Th and rare-earth elements, such as Eu, in very metal-poor stars. In order to apply the Th/Eu ratios to estimates of stellar ages, further understanding for the Th production by the r-process nucleosynthesis is required.

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arXiv2002

Chemical composition of carbon-rich, very metal-poor subgiant LP625-44 observed with the Subaru/HDS

We have obtained a high resolution (R~90,000) spectrum of the carbon- and s-process-element-rich, very metal-poor ([Fe/H]=-2.7) subgiant LP625-44, as well as that of HD140283 (a metal-poor subgiant with normal abundance ratio) for comparison, with the High Dispersion Spectrograph (HDS) for the Subaru Telescope for detailed abundance study. The oxygen abundance derived from the O I triplet around 7770A is uncertain, but the excess of oxygen in LP625-44 seems remarkable (perhaps by nearly a factor 10), in comparison with that of HD140283 derived from the same lines. The Na enhancement in LP625-44 is by about a factor 50, suggesting hydrogen burning in the 22Ne-rich layer in an asymptotic giant branch star which produces the abundance pattern of this object. In our new spectrum of LP625-44, the Pb I lambda 3683A line has been detected, as well as the Pb I lambda 4057A line which has already been studied, confirming the Pb abundance (log epsilon(Pb)~1.9) derived by the previous work. The abundance ratio of s-process elements at the second peak (e.g., La, Ce and Nd) to that at the third peak (Pb) in LP 625-44 is significantly higher (by a factor 5) than that in other three s-process element-rich objects recently studied by van Eck et al.. Recent theoretical works have modeled the s-process nucleosynthesis in the radiative layer of asymptotic giant branch stars in the inter-pulse phase, and the above results means that these processes produced a large scatter in the abundance ratios. Another possiblity is that different processes (e.g., s-process nucleosynthesis during thermal pulses) have contributed to heavy elements in the early Galaxy.

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arXiv2002

Behavior of Sulfur Abundances in Metal-Poor Giants and Dwarfs

LTE and NLTE abundances of sulfur in 6 metal-poor giants and 61 dwarfs (62 dwarfs, including the Sun) were explored in the range of -3 \lsim [Fe/H] \lsim $+0.5$ using high-resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio spectra of the \SI 8693.9 Åand 8694.6 Ålines observed by us and measured by \Francois (1987, 1988) and Clegg et al. (1981). NLTE effects in S abundances are found to be small and practically negligible. The behavior of [S/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] exhibits a linear increasing trend without plateau with decreasing [Fe/H]. Combining our results with those available in the literature, we find that the slope of the increasing trend is -0.25 in the NLTE behavior of [S/Fe], which is comparable to that observed in [O/Fe]. The observed behavior of S may require chemical evolution models of the Galaxy, in which scenarios of hypernovae nucleosynthesis and/or time-delayed deposition into interstellar medium are incorporated.

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