arXiv subjects

M. Catelan

Publications and source records attributed to M. Catelan.

202 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

arXiv1996

Stellar Photometry of the Globular Cluster NGC 6229. I. Data Reduction and Morphology of the Brighter Part of the CMD

BV CCD photometry of the central (1.5 arcmin x 2.0 arcmin) part of the mildly concentrated outer-halo globular cluster NGC 6229 is presented. The data reduction in such a crowded field was based on a wavelet transform analysis. Our larger dataset extends the previous results by Carney et al. (1991, AJ, 101, 1699) for the outer and less crowded fields of the cluster, and confirms that NGC 6229 has a peculiar color-magnitude diagram for its position in the Galaxy. In particular, NGC 6229's horizontal branch (HB) presents several interesting features, among which stand out: a well populated and very extended blue tail; a rather blue overall morphology, with (B-R)/(B+V+R) = 0.24+/-0.02; a bimodal color distribution, resembling those found for NGC 1851 and NGC 2808; and gaps on the blue HB. NGC 6229 is the first bimodal-HB cluster to be identified in the Galactic outer halo. A low value of the R parameter is confirmed, suggestive of a low helium abundance or of the presence of a quite substantial population of extreme HB stars fainter than our photometric limit (~ 2.5 mag below the RR Lyrae level in V). Twelve new possible variable stars were found in the central part of the cluster. The morphology of the red giant branch (RGB) also seems to be peculiar. In particular, the RGB luminosity function ``bump'' is not a prominent feature and has only been tentatively identified, on the basis of a comparison with a previously reported detection for M3 (NGC 5272). Finally, we compare the properties of NGC 6229 with those for other outer-halo globular clusters, and call attention to what appears to be a bimodal HB distribution for the outer-halo cluster population, where objects with very red or very blue HB types are much more frequently found than clusters with intermediate HB types.

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arXiv1996

The distance modulus of the Large Magellanic Cloud: Constraints from RR Lyrae pulsation properties

It has recently been suggested that the discrepancy between the "long" and "short" distance moduli of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), as inferred from the properties of the Cepheid and RR Lyrae variables, respectively, might be due to the action of "third parameters" between the Galaxy and the LMC, which would make the RR Lyraes in the old LMC globular clusters brighter than their Galactic counterparts by $\simeq 0.3 {mag}$. Through analysis of the RR Lyrae pulsation properties, we show that this idea is not supported by the available data. A satisfactory explanation of the problem has yet to be found.

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arXiv1995

Metal-rich globular clusters of the Galaxy: morphology of the helium-burning "clump," and the determination of relative ages through the "$ΔV$" method

Morphological aspects of the $V, \bv$ diagram of metal-rich globular clusters are analyzed, on the basis of stellar evolution models for horizontal-branch (HB) and red giant branch stars. These have been incorporated into detailed synthetic HB models, the influence of differential reddening upon which is also discussed. The synthetic HB models are found to be very clumpy in the colour-magnitude diagram, though more extended structures occasionally result due to the effect of evolution away from the zero-age HB. In particular, "sloped" clumps may be naturally expected for sufficiently high helium abundances. Differential reddening is found to have a smaller influence than evolution itself upon the morphology of the clump. The synthetic HB models are also used to study the age difference between metal-rich clusters on the basis of the "$ΔV$" method. We emphasize the importance of knowing in advance the relative abundances of helium and metals in order to estimate this age difference quantitatively. We present chemical evolution models that serve to illustrate the effect, and show that, for two clusters of identical [Fe/H] and $ΔV$, the one enriched predominantly by ejecta from supernovae type II explosions will appear younger than the other which also suffered enrichment from supernovae type Ia ejecta. The implied locations of the red giant branch feature known as the "bump" are also discussed on the basis of recent observational and theoretical results. Our corresponding predictions should be checked against accurate observational data obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope.

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arXiv1995

The Helium-Core Mass at the Helium Flash in Low-Mass Red Giant Stars: Observations and Theory

The method developed by Raffelt (1990a,b,c) to estimate a possible increase in the standard values of the helium-core mass at the tip of the red giant branch, $\Mc$, from properties of the color-magnitude diagrams of Galactic globular clusters is employed. In the present study, we revise and update Raffelt's database, including also constraints from RR Lyrae pulsation, and find that a small increase, by $Δ\Mc \approx 0.01\pm 0.015 \Msun$, cannot be ruled out with the present data and evolutionary models. Our new upper limits on $Δ\Mc$ are less restrictive than those previously obtained by Raffelt, as are the corresponding constraints on novel astroparticle phenomena which may affect the evolution of low-mass red giants. Within the estimated uncertainties, however, the standard values of $\Mc$ may also be acceptable. Raffelt's method does not rule out a low envelope helium abundance in globular cluster giants, though again the standard values are compatible with the available constraints. The influence of a non-solar ratio for the $α$-capture elements upon these results is also investigated. In addition, we review several aspects of the input physics employed in red giant stellar evolutionary calculations, with the purpose of evaluating possible sources of uncertainty in the value of the helium-core mass at the helium flash that is obtained from evolutionary computations, such as: heat conduction by electrons in the degenerate core; Coulomb effects upon the Equation of State; triple-$α$ reaction rates and screening factors; neutrino emission rates, both standard and enhanced by a possible non-zero magnetic moment; stellar rotation; microscopic element diffusion; and energy losses by axions and Weakly Interacting Massive Particles.

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