arXiv subjects

L. Monti

Publications and source records attributed to L. Monti.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Improving reddening estimates for RR Lyrae stars in the Gaia bands: a machine learning approach to the PAC(Z) relation

RR Lyrae stars are essential tracers of old stellar populations and distance indicators across the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. However, their use as standard candles is limited by uncertainties in extinction, especially in the Gaia bands. In Gaia DR3, absorption values (AG) for fundamental-mode RR Lyrae (RRab) were based on an empirical period-amplitude-color (PAC) relation calibrated on a small sample and on passband transformations. We aim to recalibrate extinction relations for RRab stars and establish, for the first time, analogous relations for first-overtone RR Lyrae (RRc) stars in the Gaia passbands. We used Gaia DR3 photometry and pulsation properties of an all-sky reference sample. Intrinsic colors (G - GRP)0 and (GBP - GRP)0 were derived through sequential feature selection combined with linear regression and bootstrap resampling, ensuring robust estimates of color excess and AG. We recalibrated PACZ relations for RRab stars and derived, for the first time, PAC relations for RRc stars in the Gaia bands. The new relations reproduce intrinsic colors with residual scatters of ~0.03-0.04 mag and provide AG estimates across both pulsation types. Tests on RR Lyrae stars in Galactic globular clusters and dwarf galaxies show consistent AG values, with the PAC(Z) relations based on (GBP - GRP) being more stable than those using (G - GRP). The new relations provide reliable extinction estimates for both RRab and RRc stars, improving on the DR3 implementation and offering a valuable tool for Galactic studies in view of Gaia DR4.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Probing the Milky Way Halo with RR Lyrae Stars from Gaia Data Release 3

The Milky Way (MW) stellar halo, containing debris from past accretion events, serves as a fossil record of hierarchical mass assembly. Due to their distinct properties, RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) serve as excellent tracers for identifying and characterising the halo's substructures. We analysed a sample of 4933 RRLs, for which we calculated the integrals of motion and orbital parameters. We applied the domain-informed novelty detection CLustering in Multiphase Boundaries (CLiMB) framework to identify RRL membership in the MW substructures. We analysed the metallicity distributions of RRLs in major accreted system remnants as a snapshot of their chemical evolutionary status during early epochs. We calculated the weighted mean metallicity ([Fe/H]) and the corresponding standard deviation for Gaia Sausage/Enceladus ([Fe/H] = $-1.57 \pm 0.25$ dex), Sequoia ([Fe/H] =$ -1.64\pm0.26$ dex), and the Helmi streams ([Fe/H] = $-1.66\pm0.19$ dex). The metallicity distribution of RRLs in Thamnos was found to be bimodal, with the metal-poor peak likely representing the genuine accreted Thamnos population ([Fe/H] = $-1.94\pm0.20$ dex), in agreement with recent works based on spectroscopic abundances. Our analysis shows that the substructures ED-1 and L-RL3 are highly contaminated by thick disc stars. However, the metal-poor tails in their metallicity distributions may be signatures of remnants from small accreted systems. We also identify over-densities of RRLs in correspondence with the recently reported substructures Shiva and Shakti, which we suggest are of in-situ origin. Finally, we applied the RRL-based mass-metallicity relation of galaxies to test the nature of the identified dynamical substructures.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Give to Ursa Minor what is Ursa Minor's: an updated census of the RR Lyrae population in the Ursa Minor dwarf galaxy based on Gaia DR3

We use RR Lyrae stars identified by the Gaia third data release (DR3) to explore the outskirts of the Ursa Minor (UMi) dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph) and update the census of its variable star population. We adopted different tools based on the Gaia DR3 astrometric and photometric data (proper motions, Period-Wesenheit-Metallicity relations, spatial distribution, colour-magnitude diagram and stellar isochrone fitting) to discriminate between different types of variable stars, and to identify UMi members. We find a total of 129 RR Lyrae stars and Anomalous Cepheids (ACs) that belong to UMi. We report 47 new RR Lyrae stars (46 bona fide and 1 candidate) and 5 new ACs (4 bona fide and 1 candidate), including new possible members in the extreme periphery of the galaxy at a distance of $\sim$ 12 half-light radii. We reclassified 13 RR Lyrae stars identified by the Gaia DR3 Specific Object Study pipeline for Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars (SOS Cep$\&$RRL), using data from the literature and Gaia astrometry and photometry. Specifically, we assigned these 13 DR3 RR Lyrae stars to 10 Anomalous Cepheids and 3 double-mode RR Lyrae (RRd), respectively. From the average luminosity of the RR Lyrae stars we derive for UMi a distance modulus of $(m-M)_{0}=$ 19.23 $\pm$ 0.09 mag in excellent agreement with the literature. Finally, we investigated whether some of UMi's variable stars might be members of the ultra-faint stellar cluster Mu{\~n}oz~1, that lies at a projected distance of 45 arcmin from UMi's centre. Based on the properties of the variable stars (distances, colours and metallicities), we find unlikely that they belong to the cluster.

astro-ph.GA↗