arXiv subjects

Leo Girardi

Publications and source records attributed to Leo Girardi.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2003

A theoretical analysis of the systematic errors in the Red Clump distance to the LMC

We present a detailed analysis of the uncertainty on the theoretical population corrections to the LMC Red Clump (RC) absolute magnitude, by employing a population synthesis algorithm to simulate theoretically the photometric and spectroscopic properties of RC stars, under various assumptions about the LMC Star Formation Rate (SFR) and Age Metallicity Relationship (AMR). A comparison of the outcome of our simulations with observations of evolved low-intermediate mass stars in the LMC allows one to select the combinations of SFR and AMR that bracket the real LMC star formation history, and to estimate the systematic error on the associated RC population corrections. The most accurate estimate of the LMC distance modulus from the RC method (adopting the OGLE-II reddening maps for the LMC) is obtained from the K-band magnitude, and provides (m-M)_{0, LMC}=18.47 +/-0.01(random) +0.05/-0.06(systematic). Distances obtained from the I-band, or from the multicolour RC technique which determines at the same time reddening and distance, both agree (albeit with a slightly larger error bar) with this value.

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arXiv2002

Population effects on the red giant clump absolute magnitude: The K-band

We present a detailed analysis of the behaviour of the Red Clump K-band absolute magnitude (M(K,RC)) in simple and composite stellar populations, in light of its use as standard candle for distance determinations. The advantage of using M(K,RC), following recent empirical calibrations of its value for the solar neighbourhood, arises from its very low sensitivity to the extinction by interstellar dust. We provide data and equations which allow the determination of the K-band population correction Delta(M(K,RC)) (difference between the Red Clump brightness in the solar neighbourhood and in the population under scrutiny) for any generic stellar population. These data complement the results presented in Girardi & Salaris(2001) for the V- and I-band. We show how data from galactic open clusters consistently support our predicted Delta(M(V,RC)), Delta(M(I,RC)) and Delta(M(K,RC)) values. Multiband VIK population corrections for various galaxy systems are provided. They can be used in conjunction with the method devised by Alves et al.(2002), in order to derive simultaneously reddening and distance from the use of VIK observations of Red Clump stars. We have positively tested this technique on the Galactic globular cluster 47Tuc, for which both an empirical parallax-based main sequence fitting distance and reddening estimates exist. We have also studied the case of using only V and I photometry, recovering consistent results for both reddening and distance. Application of this method to an OGLE-II field, and the results by Alves et al.(2002), confirm a LMC distance modulus of about 18.50, in agreement with the HST extragalactic distance scale zero-point. (abridged)

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arXiv2002

Does the mixing length parameter depend on metallicity?

This paper is a further step in the investigation of the morphology of the color-magnitude diagram of Galactic globular clusters, and the fine-tuning of theoretical models, made possible by the recent observational efforts to build homogeneous photometric databases. In particular, we examine here the calibration of the morphological parameter W(HB) vs. metallicity, originally proposed by Brocato et al. (1998), which essentially measures the color position of the red-giant branch. We show that the parameter can be used to have a first-order estimate of the cluster metallicity, since the dispersion around the mean trend with [Fe/H] is compatible with the measurement errors. The tight W(HB)-[Fe/H] relation is then used to show that variations in helium content or age do not affect the parameter, whereas it is strongly influenced by the mixing-length parameter alpha (as expected). This fact allows us, for the first time, to state that there is no trend of alpha with the metal content of a cluster. A thorough examination of the interrelated questions of the alpha-elements enhancement and the color-T(eff) transformations, highlights that there is an urgent need for an independent assessment of which of the two presently accepted metallicity scales is the true indicator of a cluster's iron content. Whatever scenario is adopted, it also appears that a deep revision of the (V-I)-temperature relations is needed.

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arXiv2002

NGC 1866: a workbench for stellar evolution

The young LMC cluster NGC 1866 represents the ideal laboratory for testing stellar evolutionary models: in particular, it can be used to discriminate among classical stellar models, in which the extension of the convective regions is fixed by the classical Schwarzschild criterion, from models with overshooting, in which an ``extra-mixing'' is considered to take place beyond the classical limit of the convective zone. Addressing this subject in a recent work, Testa et al. (1999) reached the conclusion that the classical scheme for the treatment of convection represents a good and sufficient approximation for convective interiors. Using their own data, we repeat here the analysis. First we revise the procedure followed by Testa et al. (1999) to correct the data for completeness, second we calculate new stellar models with updated physical input for both evolutionary schemes, finally we present many simulations of the colour-magnitude diagrams and luminosity functions of the cluster using the ratio of the integrated luminosity function of main sequence stars to the number of giants as the normalization factor of the simulations. We also take into account several possible physical agents that could alter the color-magnitude diagram and the luminosity function: they are unresolved binary stars, dispersion in the age, stochastic effects in the initial mass function. Their effect is analyzed separately, with the conclusion that binary stars have the largest impact. The main result of this study is that the convective overshoot hypothesis (together with a suitable percentage of unresolved binaries) is really needed to fully match the whole pattern of data. The main drawback of the classical models is that they cannot reproduce the correct ratio of main sequence to post-main sequence stars.

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arXiv2002

The intermediate-age open cluster NGC 2158

We report on $UBVRI$ CCD photometry of two overlapping fields in the region of the intermediate-age open cluster NGC 2158 down to V=21. By analyzing Colour-Colour (CC) and Colour-Magnitude Diagrams (CMD) we infer a reddening $E_{B-V}= 0.55\pm0.10$, a distance of $3600 \pm 400$ pc, and an age of about 2 Gyr. Synthetic CMDs performed with these parameters (but fixing $E_{B-V}=0.60$ and $[{\rm Fe/H}]=-0.60$), and including binaries, field contamination, and photometric errors, allow a good description of the observed CMD. The elongated shape of the clump of red giants in the CMD is interpreted as resulting from a differential reddening of about $ΔE_{B-V}=0.06$ across the cluster, in the direction perpendicular to the Galactic plane. NGC 2158 turns out to be an intermediate-age open cluster with an anomalously low metal content. The combination of these parameters together with the analysis of the cluster orbit, suggests that the cluster belongs to the old thin disk population.

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arXiv2001

Broad-band photometric evolution of star clusters

I briefly introduce a database of models that describe the evolution of star clusters in several broad-band photometric systems. Models are based on the latest Padova stellar evolutionary tracks - now including the alpha-enhanced case and improved AGB models - and a revised library of synthetic spectra from model atmospheres. As of today, we have revised isochrones in Johnson-Cousins-Glass, HST/WFPC2, HST/NICMOS, Thuan-Gunn, and Washington systems. Several other filter sets are included in a preliminary way, like those used by the EIS and SDSS projects. The database contains also integrated magnitudes of single-burst stellar populations and Monte-Carlo simulations that show the stochastic dispersion of the colours as a function of cluster mass, age, and metallicity. The models are useful for several kinds of studies, including estimates of masses and ages of extragalactic star clusters observed by means of broad-band photometry.

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arXiv2001

Coupling emitted light and chemical yields from stars: a basic constraint to population synthesis models of galaxies

In this paper we emphasize the close connection between the chemical and spectrophotometric evolution of stellar systems: Chemical yields from stars correspond to a precise fraction of their emitted light. We translate this concept quantitatively. Starting from simple stellar populations, we derive useful analytical relations to calculate the stellar fuel consumption (emitted light) as a function of basic quantities predicted by stellar models, i.e. the mass of the core and the chemical composition of the envelope. The final formulas explicate the relation between integrated light contribution (total or limited to particular evolutionary phases), chemical yields and stellar remnants. We test their accuracy in the case of low- and intermediate-mass stars, and indicate the way to extend the analysis to massive stars. This formalism provides an easy tool to check the internal consistency between the different stellar inputs adopted in galaxy models: The fuel computed by means of the analytical formulas (corresponding to a given set of chemical yields) should be compared to the exact values given by the luminosity integration along the stellar evolutionary tracks or isochrones (corresponding to a given set of spectrophotometric models). Only if both estimates of the fuel are similar, the stellar inputs can be considered self-consistent in terms of their energetics. This sets an important requirement to galaxy models, also in consideration of the fact that different sources of input stellar data are frequently used to model their spectro-photometric and chemical evolution.

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arXiv2001

Zero-metallicity stars I. Evolution at constant mass

We present extensive evolutionary models of stars with initial zero-metallicity, covering a large range of initial masses (i.e. 0.7 <= M <= 100 Msun). Calculations are carried out at constant mass, with updated input physics, and applying an overshooting scheme to convective boundaries. The nuclear network includes all the important reactions of the p-p chain, CNO-cycle and alpha-captures, and is solved by means of a suitable semi-implicit method. The evolution is followed up to the thermally pulsing AGB in the case of low- and intermediate-mass stars, or to the onset of carbon burning in massive stars. The main evolutionary features of these models are discussed, also in comparison with models of non-zero metallicity. Among several interesting aspects, particular attention has been paid to describe: i) the first synthesis of 12C inside the stars, that may suddenly trigger the CNO-cycle causing particular evolutionary features; ii) the pollution of the stellar surface by the dredge-up events, that are effective only within particular mass ranges; iii) the mass limits which conventionally define the classes of low-, intermediate-, and high-mass stars on the basis of common evolutionary properties, including the upper mass limit for the achievement of super-Eddington luminosities before C-ignition in the high-mass regime; and iv) the expected pulsational properties of zero-metallicity stars. All relevant information referring to the evolutionary tracks and isochrones is made available in computer-readable format at http://pleiadi.pd.astro.it .

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arXiv2000

Theoretical expectations for clump red giants as distance indicators

Variations of ~0.4 mag are expected in the I-band absolute magnitude of red clump giants, M_I^RC, as a function of both stellar age and metallicity. This regardless of some potential theoretical uncertainties. Due to the quite large differences in mean ages and metallicities of clump stars among galaxies, systematic changes (also amounting up to ~0.4 mag) come out in their M_I^RC. These numbers also indicate a distance to the LMC that is not necessarily ``short''.

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arXiv2000

Population effects on the Red Giant Clump absolute magnitude, and distance determinations to nearby galaxies

(Abridged) The red giant clump has been recently argued to be a reliable distance indicator for the galaxies in the Local Group. We re-address the problem of the systematic magnitude differences (DeltaM_I) between the local clump revealed by Hipparcos, and the clump stars observed in distant galaxies. First, we present tables and equations with the theoretically-predicted clump M_I as a function of age and metallicity, that allow the computation of DeltaM_I for any given galaxy model. We then explain in some detail what determines the distribution of masses, ages, and metallicities of clump stars in a galaxy. We point out that in galaxies with recent/ongoing star formation, the age distribution of clump stars is strongly biased toward younger (1-3 Gyr) ages, and hence toward higher metallicities. Obviously, this does not happen in galaxies with predominantly old stellar populations. We construct a model for the local clump that is shown to produce distributions of metallicities, colours, and magnitudes, similar to those derived from spectroscopic and Hipparcos data. Bulge, Magellanic Clouds, and Carina dSph models are used to analyse the values of DeltaM_I for these systems. We show how the clump-RR Lyrae data is well reproduced by the models. However, despite this, the models indicate that the linear DeltaM_I vs. [Fe/H] relations that have been derived from the data are not general. Finally, we provide revised clump distances to the Bulge, Magellanic Clouds, and Carina dSph. The largest DeltaM_I values are found for the Magellanic Clouds and Carina dSph, which turn out to be located at distance moduli 0.2-0.3 mag longer than indicated by works which ignore population effects. The Galactic Bulge, instead, may be slightly closer (0.1 mag) than indicated by previous works based on the red clump.

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arXiv2000

Evolutionary tracks and isochrones for alpha-enhanced stars

We present four large sets of evolutionary tracks for stars with initial chemical compositions [Y=0.250, Z=0.008], [Y=0.273, Z=0.019], [Y=0.320, Z=0.040] and [Y=0.390, Z=0.070] and enhancement of alpha elements with respect to the solar pattern. The major improvement with respect to previous similar calculations is that we use consistent opacities - i.e. computed with the same chemical composition as adopted in the stellar models - over the whole relevant range of temperatures. For the same initial chemical compositions [Y,Z] and otherwise identical input physics we present also new evolutionary sequences with solar-scaled mixtures of abundances. Based on these stellar models we calculate the corresponding sets of isochrones both in the Johnson-Cousins UBVRIJHK and HST/WFPC2 photometric systems. Furthermore, we derive integrated magnitudes, colours and mass-to-light ratios for ideal single stellar populations with total mass equal to 1 Msun. Finally, the major changes in the tracks, isochrones, and integrated magnitudes and colours passing from solar-scaled to alpha-enhanced mixtures are briefly outlined. Retrieval of the complete data set is possible via http://pleiadi.pd.astro.it .

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arXiv2000

Broad-band colour evolution of star clusters

We briefly review the main features in the broad-band colour evolution of star clusters, over the complete age interval from 10^7 to 10^(10) yr. The emphasis is in the problem of age-dating distant young clusters (<2 Gyr) from their integrated colours. It is shown that U-B and B-V are less sensitive to metallicity than colours involving red pass-bands, like V-I, at least up to ages of some few Gyr. Since U-B and B-V are determined by well-understood and well-populated evolutionary stages, they are also less affected by theoretical uncertainties and by the ubiquitous effect of stochastic colour dispersion. The latter effects become important for the V-K colour. Thus, we argue that U-B and B-V are, presently, the more suitable broad-band colours for age-dating distant clusters. For other potentially useful colours like V-R and V-I, empirical tests of their evolution are still missing.

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arXiv1999

Clump stars in the Solar Neighbourhood

Hipparcos data has allowed the identification of a large number of clump stars in the Solar Neighbourhood. We discuss our present knowledge about their distributions of masses, ages, colours, magnitudes, and metallicities. We point out that the age distribution of clump stars is ``biased'' towards intermediate-ages. Therefore, the metallicity information they contain is different from that provided by the local G dwarfs. Since accurate abundance determinations are about to become available, these may provide useful constraints to chemical evolution models of the local disc.

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arXiv1999

Evolutionary models of zero metallicity stars

We present new evolutionary models for zero-metallicity stars, covering a large range of initial masses (from 0.8 to 100 M_sun). Models are computed with overshooting from stellar cores and convective envelopes, and assuming mass-loss from the most massive stars. We discuss the main evolutionary features of these stars, and provide estimates of the amount of newly-synthesized elements dredged-up to the stellar surface, and possibly lost by stellar winds from the most massive stars. Full details of these models will be given in Marigo et al. (2000, in preparation).

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arXiv1999

Evolutionary tracks and isochrones for low- and intermediate-mass stars: from 0.15 to 7 M_sun, and from Z=0.0004 to 0.03

We present a large grid of stellar evolutionary tracks, which are suitable to modelling star clusters and galaxies by means of population synthesis. The tracks are presented for the initial chemical compositions [Z=0.0004, Y=0.23], [Z=0.001, Y=0.23], [Z=0.004, Y=0.24], [Z=0.008, Y=0.25], [Z=0.019, Y=0.273] (solar composition), and [Z=0.03, Y=0.30]. They are computed with updated opacities and equation of state, and a moderate amount of convective overshoot. The range of initial masses goes from 0.15 M_sun to 7 M_sun, and the evolutionary phases extend from the zero age main sequence (ZAMS) till either the thermally pulsing AGB regime or carbon ignition. We also present an additional set of models with solar composition, computed using the classical Schwarzschild's criterion for convective boundaries. From all these tracks, we derive the theoretical isochrones in the Johnson-Cousins UBVRIJHK broad-band photometric system.

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arXiv1999

Near-infrared photometry of the young open clusters NGC 1893 and Berkeley 86

We present photometry in the J and K near-infrared bands for two regions centered on the young open clusters NGC 1893 and Berkeley 86. We study 700 stars down to K = 17 in the field of NGC 1893, and about 2000 stars in the field of Berkeley 86 down to K$\sim$ 16.5, for which near-infrared photometry was insofar not available. Coupling J-K data with UBV photometry taken from literature, we produce reddening corrected colour-magnitude diagrams. We find that our data are consistent with previous determinations: the clusters are roughly coeval with an age between 4 and 6 million years. The mean reddening (measured as E(J-K)) values turn out to be 0.35 and 0.50 for NGC 1893 and Berkeley 86, respectively.Using colour-colour plots we discuss the presence of candidate pre-main sequence stars showing infrared excess. Candidates are found in both cluster regions, confirming the young age of these clusters.

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arXiv1999

Fine structure of the red clump in Local Group galaxies

Some fine structures can nowadays be identified in the high-quality colour-magnitude diagrams (CMD) of Local Group galaxies. The clump of red giants, for instance, may present a significant colour spread, and extensions to both brighter and fainter luminosities. Such features are predicted by population synthesis models which consider stars in the complete relevant ranges of ages and metallicities, and are potentially useful for constraining the star formation histories of the parent galaxies over scales of gigayears. We briefly comment the cases of fields in the Magellanic Clouds, M31, and the local CMD from Hipparcos.

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arXiv1999

Is the galactic disk older than the halo?

Aim of this study is to infer the age of the Galactic Disk by means of the ages of old open clusters, and comment on some recent claims that the Galactic Disk can be older than the Halo. To this purpose, we analyze the Color-Magnitude Diagrams (CMDs) of six very old clusters, namely NGC 188, NGC 6791, Collinder 261, Melotte 66, Berkeley 39 and Berkeley 17, and determine their ages. For each cluster we use the most recent photometric and spectroscopic data and metallicity estimates. The ages are derived from the isochrone fitting method using the stellar models of the Padua library (Bertelli et al . 1994, Girardi et al. 1999). We find that the ages of these clusters fall in the range 4 to 9-10 Gyr: Melotte 66 is the youngest whereas NGC 6791 and Berkeley 17 have ages of about 9-10 Gyr. Previous estimates for Berkeley 17 indicated an age as old as 12 Gyr, almost falling within the range of classical globular clusters. In our analysis, this cluster is always very old but perhaps somewhat younger than in previous studies. However we call attention on the fact that the above ages are to be taken as provisional estimates, because of the many uncertaintes still affecting stellar models in the mass range 1.0 to 1.5 Mo. Despite this drawback of extant theory of stellar structure, if NGC 6791 and Berkeley 17 set the limit to the age of the Galactic Disk, this component of the Milky Way can be as old as 9-10 Gyr, but surely younger than the Galactic Halo, at least as inferred from recent determinations of the age of globular clusters. Finally, it is worth recalling that open clusters can only provide a lower limit to the age of the Galactic Disk, while other indicators - like White Dwarfs - are perhaps more suited to this task.

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