arXiv subjects

Martín López-Corredoira

Publications and source records attributed to Martín López-Corredoira.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Mapping the Milky Way with Gaia Bp/Rp spectra-IV: the broken and asymmetric density profile of the stellar disk traced by a large sample of red clumps

This study explores the density profile of the stellar disk, radially and azimuthally, based on approximately 8.4 million red clump stars selected from Gaia Bp/Rp spectra. After correcting for selection effects and distance uncertainties, we fit the vertical stellar density profile of the Galactic disk with a two-component model consisting of geometrically thin and thick disks. Our derived density profile shows several breaks radially: (1) a steep exponential inside R$\sim3$ kpc; (2) a nearly flat plateau from R$\sim3$ to $\sim7$ kpc; (3) an exponential decline beyond the solar radius to around 13 kpc; (4) a sharper exponential drop-off beyond R$\sim$13 kpc. The parameters of these four main components depend on $ϕ$ to some extent. Variation of the termination radius of the first component suggests an interaction with the bar/bulge. Besides the typical flaring at $R>6.4$ kpc, we find that the thin disk also exhibits a similar and smooth thickening/flaring feature toward the Galactic center at $R<6.4$ kpc. The observed inner flaring may indicate heating effects introduced by the Galactic bar, since $R=6.4$ kpc lies close to the co-rotation radius where the bar's dynamical influence becomes significant. Additionally, we identify a localized density bump in the region $5<R<7$ kpc and $-30^\circ<ϕ<15^\circ$, where a corresponding metallicity bump is also visible near the Galactic plane. This density/metallicity bump may be related to the recently reported bimodal distribution of the guiding radius of super metal-rich stars in the solar vicinity through radial migration.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

The Average Age Map of the Galactic Bulge

The Galactic Bulge, as the center of the Galaxy, is the closest laboratory for studying galaxy formation and evolution. However, its study faces significant challenges due to heavy dust extinction. This paper is devoted to deriving the average age of the Galactic Bulge and investigating its spatial distribution. We utilize a high-precision PSF-fitting photometric catalogue in the $J$ and $K_{\mathrm{s}}$ bands observed by VISTA to study the average stellar ages within the Bulge. Red giant stars are employed as tracers, with their average distances determined using red clump stars as references. The average ages are fitted with stellar models. Our analysis reveals a systematic age gradient across the Galactic Bulge ($2^{\circ} < |b| < 8^{\circ}$). The mean stellar age increases significantly with galactic latitude, shifting from a younger population ($\sim 4.69^{+0.97}_{-0.81}$ Gyr) prevalent near the plane to a predominantly older population ($\sim 10.48^{+0.93}_{-0.85}$ Gyr) at higher latitudes. We hypothesize that the young stellar population at low latitudes is predominantly composed of a pseudo-bulge formed via disk/bar processes (incorporating contributions from recent star-forming activity in the Galactic center), whereas the older stellar population is associated with spheroidal bulges generated through early-stage collapse or accretion of debris from merged dwarf galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

The Structure, Populations and Kinematics of the Milky Way central and inner Bulge with OGLE, APOGEE and Gaia data

We present an analysis of the structure, kinematics, and chemo-dynamical properties of the Milky Way bulge using RR Lyrae stars from OGLE, and giant stars from APOGEE and Gaia that have distances placing them in the inner Galaxy. Firstly, using a sample of 1,879 ab-type RR Lyrae stars (RRabs) from OGLE-IV, we identified three populations: central bulge RRabs, the inner bulge RRabs, and halo or disk interlopers, based on their apocenters derived from orbital integration. Inner bulge RRabs kinematically align with the Galactic bar, while central bulge RRabs show slower rotation with lower velocity dispersion. Higher velocity dispersion stars were identified as halo/disk interlopers. Then, orbital analysis of 28,188 APOGEE Red Clump and Red Giant Branch stars revealed kinematic properties consistent with RRabs, and the chemical abundance distribution displayed a bimodal stellar density pattern, suggesting complex star evolution histories and slightly different star formation histories for the inner bulge and central bulge. The differences in the density distribution on the $|\mathrm{Z}|_{\text{max}}$-eccentricity plane for the central bulge, inner bulge, and interlopers are clearly detected. It is found that the classification of bulge stars based on orbital parameters, rather than solely on metallicity, provides a more accurate population separation. As the inner bulge, which contains the highest fraction of stars, traces the bar formed by the instability of the Galactic disk, our results support that pseudo-bulge is the primary origin of the bulge. Furthermore, fitting the observed data to both the boxy and X-shaped bulge models indicated a preference for the boxy bulge.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

Measuring the Time Variation of the Fine-structure Constant with Quasars Detected by LAMOST

The [O III] $λλ 4960,5008$ emission lines in the optical spectra of galaxies and quasars have been widely used to investigate the possible variation of the fine-structure constant $α$ over cosmic time. In this work, we utilize the Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) quasar survey, for the first time, to measure the relative $α$ variation $Δα/α$ in time through the [O III] doublet method. From the LAMOST Data Release 9 quasar catalog, we refine a sample of 209 quasar spectra with strong and narrow [O III] emission lines over a redshift range of $0<z<0.8$. Analysis on all of the 209 spectra obtains $Δα/α= (0.5 \pm 3.7) \times 10^{-4}$, which suggests that there is no evidence of varying $α$ on the explored cosmological timescales. Assuming a linear variation, the mean rate of change in $Δα/α$ is limited to be $(-3.4 \pm 2.4)\times 10^{-13}$ $\mathrm{yr^{-1}}$ in the last 7.0 Gyr. While our LAMOST-based constraint on $Δα/α$ is not competitive with those of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasar observations, our analysis serves to corroborate the results of SDSS with another independent survey.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

The Hubble Tension Survey: A Statistical Analysis of the 2012-2022 Measurements

In order to investigate the potential Hubble tension, we compile a catalogue of 216 measurements of the Hubble--Lemaître constant $H_0$ between 2012 and 2022, which includes 109 model-independent measurements and 107 $Λ$CDM model-based measurements. Statistical analyses of these measurements show that the deviations of the results with respect to the average $H_0$ are far larger than expected from their error bars if they follow a Gaussian distribution. We find that $xσ$ deviation is indeed equivalent in a Gaussian distribution to $x_{\rm eq}σ$ deviation in the frequency of values, where $x_{\rm eq}=0.72x^{0.88}$. Hence, a tension of 5$σ$, estimated between the Cepheid-calibrated type Ia supernovae and cosmic microwave background (CMB) data, is indeed a 3$σ$ tension in equivalent terms of a Gaussian distribution of frequencies. However, this recalibration should be independent of the data whose tension we want to test. If we adopt the previous analysis of data of 1976-2019, the equivalent tension is reduced to $2.25σ$. Covariance terms due to correlations of measurements do not significantly change the results. Nonetheless, the separation of the data into two blocks with $H_0<71$ and $H_0\ge 71$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ finds compatibility with a Gaussian distribution for each of them without removing any outlier. These statistical results indicate that the underestimation of error bars for $H_0$ remains prevalent over the past decade, dominated by systematic errors in the methodologies of CMB and local distance ladder analyses.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Revisiting constraints on the photon rest mass with cosmological fast radio bursts

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) have been suggested as an excellent celestial laboratory for testing the zero-mass hypothesis of the photon. In this work, we use the dispersion measure (DM)--redshift measurements of 23 localized FRBs to revisit the photon rest mass $m_γ$. As an improvement over previous studies, here we take into account the more realistic probability distributions of DMs contributed by the FRB host galaxy and intergalactic medium (IGM) from the IllustrisTNG simulation. To better account for the systematic uncertainty induced by the choices of priors of cosmological parameters, we also combine the FRB data with the cosmic microwave background data, the baryon acoustic oscillation data, and type Ia supernova data to constrain the cosmological parameters and $m_γ$ simultaneously. We derive a new upper limit of $m_γ\le3.8\times 10^{-51}\;\rm{kg}$, or equivalently $m_γ\le2.1 \times 10^{-15} \, \rm{eV/c^2}$ ($m_γ \le 7.2 \times 10^{-51} \, \rm{kg}$, or equivalently $m_γ\le4.0 \times 10^{-15} \, \rm{eV/c^2}$) at $1σ$ ($2σ$) confidence level. Meanwhile, our analysis can also lead to a reasonable estimation for the IGM baryon fraction $f_{\rm IGM}=0.873^{+0.061}_{-0.050}$. With the number increment of localized FRBs, the constraints on both $m_γ$ and $f_{\rm IGM}$ will be further improved. A caveat of constraining $m_γ$ within the context of the standard $Λ$CDM cosmological model is also discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Evidence for Populations-dependent vertical motions and the Long-lived Non-Steady Lopsided Milky Way Warp

We present the Galactic disk vertical velocity analysis using OB type stars (OB), Red Clump stars (RC), and Main-Sequence-Turn-Off stars (MSTO) with different average age populations crossed matched with LAMOST DR5 and Gaia DR3. We reveal the vertical velocities of the three populations varies clearly with the Galactocentric distance ($R$) and the younger stellar population has stronger increasing trend in general. The bending and breathing modes indicated by the vertical motions are dependent on the populations and they are varying with spatial locations. These vertical motions may be due to the Galactic warp, or minor mergers, or non-equilibrium of the disk. Assuming the warp is the dominant component, we find that the warp amplitude ($γ$, $Z_ω$) for OB (younger population) is larger than that for RC (medium population) and the later one is also larger than that for MSTO (older population), which is in agreement with other independent analyses of stellar density distribution, and supports the warp is long-lived, non-steady structure and has time evolution. This conclusion is robust whether or not the line-of-nodes $ϕ_w$ is fixed or as a free parameter (with $ϕ_w$ is around 3$-$8.5$^{\circ}$ as best fit). Furthermore, we find that warp is lopsided with asymmetries along azimuthal angle ($ϕ$).

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Mapping the Milky Way Disk with Gaia DR3: 3D extended kinematic maps and rotation curve to $\approx 30$ kpc

We apply a statistical deconvolution of the parallax errors based on Lucy's inversion method (LIM) to the Gaia-DR3 sources to measure their three dimensional velocity components in the range of Galactocentric distances $R$ between 8 kpc and 30 kpc with their corresponding errors and root mean square values. We find results that are consistent with those obtained by applying LIM to the Gaia-DR2 sources, and we conclude that the method gives convergent and more accurate results by improving the statistics of the data-set and lowering observational errors. The kinematic maps reconstructed with LIM up to $R \approx 30$ kpc show that the Milky Way is characterized by asymmetrical motions with significant gradients in all velocity components. Furthermore, we determine the Galaxy rotation curve $V_C(R)$ up to $\approx 27.5$ kpc with the cylindrical Jeans equation assuming an axisymmetric gravitational potential. We find that $V_C(R)$ is significantly declining up to the largest radius investigated. Finally, we also measure $V_C(R)$ at different vertical heights, showing that, for $R <15$ kpc, there is a marked dependence on $Z$, whereas at larger $R$ the dependence on $Z$ is negligible.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

A Case against a Significant Detection of Precession in the Galactic Warp

Recent studies of warp kinematics using Gaia DR2 data have produced detections of warp precession for the first time, which greatly exceeds theoretical predictions of models. However, this detection assumes a warp model derived for a young population (few tens of megayears) to fit velocities of an average older stellar population of the thin disk (several gigayears) in Gaia-DR2 observations, which may lead to unaccounted systematic errors. Here, we recalculate the warp precession with the same approach and Gaia DR2 kinematic data, but using different warp parameters based on the fit of star counts of the Gaia DR2 sample, which has a much lower warp amplitude than the young population. When we take into account this variation of the warp amplitude with the age of the population, we find that there is no need for precession. We find the value of warp precession $β= 4^{+6}_{-4}$ km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-1}$, which does not exclude nonprecessing warp.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Supernovae and photon frequency shift induced by the Standard-Model Extension

We revisit for 714 SNeIa the discrepancy between the red-shift associated to the distance modulus $μ$ and the spectroscopic red-shift. Previous work has shown that the total red-shift $z$ might be a combination of the expansion red-shift $z_{\rm C}$ and of a static, blue or red shift $z_{\rm LSV}(r)$, $r$ being the comoving distance. The latter is due to the energy non-conservation of the photon propagating through Electro-Magnetic (EM) background fields (host galaxy, intergalactic and Milky Way), under Lorentz(-Poincaré) Symmetry Violation (LSV), associated to the Standard-Model Extension (SME). The non-conservation stems from the vacuum expectation value of the vector and tensor LSV fields. For zero radiation $Ω_{\rm rad}$ and curvature $Ω_{\rm k}$ densities, and matter density $Ω_m = 0.28$, the SN1a positions in the ($μ$, z) plan are recovered according to the different strengths, orientations, alignments and space-time dependencies of the EM fields and LSV components. The LSV vacuum energy may be thus tantamount to $Ω_Λ\simeq 0.7$, but unrelated to an accelerated expansion. We present models with red or blue-shifts $z_{\rm LSV}$, below $10\%$ of $z$. The $ν$ frequency variation is below $10^{-19} Δν/ν$ per m.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2019

The Vanishing & Appearing Sources during a Century of Observations project: I. USNO objects missing in modern sky surveys and follow-up observations of a "missing star"

In this paper we report the current status of a new research program. The primary goal of the "Vanishing & Appearing Sources during a Century of Observations" (VASCO) project is to search for vanishing and appearing sources using existing survey data to find examples of exceptional astrophysical transients. The implications of finding such objects extend from traditional astrophysics fields to the more exotic searches for evidence of technologically advanced civilizations. In this first paper we present new, deeper observations of the tentative candidate discovered by Villarroel et al. (2016). We then perform the first searches for vanishing objects throughout the sky by comparing 600 million objects from the US Naval Observatory Catalogue (USNO) B1.0 down to a limiting magnitude of $\sim 20 - 21$ with the recent Pan-STARRS Data Release-1 (DR1) with a limiting magnitude of $\sim$ 23.4. We find about 150,000 preliminary candidates that do not have any Pan-STARRS counterpart within a 30 arcsec radius. We show that these objects are redder and have larger proper motions than typical USNO objects. We visually examine the images for a subset of about 24,000 candidates, superseding the 2016 study with a sample ten times larger. We find about $\sim$ 100 point sources visible in only one epoch in the red band of the USNO which may be of interest in searches for strong M dwarf flares, high-redshift supernovae or other catagories of unidentified red transients.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2018

3D Asymmetrical motions of the Galactic outer disk with LAMOST K giant stars

We present a three dimensional velocity analysis of Milky Way disk kinematics using LAMOST K giant stars and the GPS1 proper motion catalogue. We find that Galactic disk stars near the anticenter direction (in the range of Galactocentric distance between $R=8$ and $13$ kpc and vertical position between $Z=-2$ and $2$ kpc) exhibit asymmetrical motions in the Galactocentric radial, azimuthal, and vertical components. Radial motions are not zero, thus departing from circularity in the orbits; they increase outwards within $R\lesssim 12$ kpc, show some oscillation in the northern ($0 < Z < 2$ kpc) stars, and have north-south asymmetry in the region corresponding to a well-known nearby northern structure in the velocity field. There is a clear vertical gradient in azimuthal velocity, and also an asymmetry that shifts from a larger azimuthal velocity above the plane near the solar radius to faster rotation below the plane at radii of 11-12 kpc. Stars both above and below the plane at $R\gtrsim 9$ kpc exhibit net upward vertical motions. We discuss some possible mechanisms that might create the asymmetrical motions, such as external perturbations due to dwarf galaxy minor mergers or dark matter sub-halos, warp dynamics, internal processes due to spiral arms or the Galactic bar, and (most likely) a combination of some or all of these components.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Constraint on the time variation of the fine-structure constant with the SDSS-III/BOSS DR12 quasar sample

From the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 12, which covers the full Baryonic Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) footprint, we investigate the possible variation of the fine-structure constant over cosmological time-scales. We analyse the largest quasar sample considered so far in the literature, which contains 13175 spectra (10363 from SDSS-III/BOSS DR12 + 2812 from SDSS-II DR7) with redshift $z<\,$1. We apply the emission-line method on the [O III] doublet (4960, 5008 A) and obtain $Δα/α= \left(0.9 \pm 1.8\right)\times10^{-5}$ for the relative variation of the fine-structure constant. We also investigate the possible sources of systematics: misidentification of the lines, sky OH lines, H$\,β$ and broad line contamination, Gaussian and Voigt fitting profiles, optimal wavelength range for the Gaussian fits, chosen polynomial order for the continuum spectrum, signal-to-noise ratio and good quality of the fits. The uncertainty of the measurement is dominated by the sky subtraction. The results presented in this work, being systematics limited, have sufficient statistics to constrain robustly the variation of the fine-structure constant in redshift bins ($Δz\approx$ 0.06) over the last 7.9 Gyr. In addition, we study the [Ne III] doublet (3870, 3969 A) present in 462 quasar spectra and discuss the systematic effects on using these emission lines to constrain the fine-structure constant variation. Better constraints on $Δα/α $ ($<$10$^{-6}$) using the emission-line method would be possible with high-resolution spectroscopy and large galaxy/qso surveys.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2014

Three-dimensional decomposition of galaxies with bulge and long bar

Some observations indicate that the Milky Way has two inner components, a bulge and a long bar, which present a misalignment of about 20 degrees that is against the predictions of some theoretical models that are based on numerical simulations. In this paper, we wish to determine whether this misalignment between the bar and the bulge can be observed in barred galaxies other than the Milky Way. For that, each galaxy of our sample was decomposed based on its Ks-band 2MASS image by fitting and modelling in a three-dimensional (3D) space the following components: a disc, a bar, and a bulge. The chi-square goodness-of-fit estimation allowed retrieving the best-fit angle values for the bar and the bulge to detect any misalignment. From the 3D decomposition of six barred galaxies, we have detected at least three galaxies (NGC 2217, NGC 3992, and NGC 4593) that present a significant misalignment between the bar and the bulge of more than 20 degrees.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

The long bar as seen by the VVV Survey: II. Star counts

Context: There is still some debate about the presence and the morphological properties of the long bar in the inner Galaxy. Aims: We investigate the morphological properties of the long Galactic bar using the VVV survey extending star counts at least 3 mag deeper than 2MASS. Our study covers the relatively unexplored negative longitudes of the Galactic bar. We obtain a detailed description of the spatial distribution of star counts towards the long Galactic bar as well as to measure its parameters. Methods: We performed star counts towards -20<l<0 deg., |b|< 2 deg. using VVV, 2MASS, and GLIMPSE data. We applied an average interstellar extinction correction. We also adjusted latitudinal profiles to obtain the centroid variation and bar thickness. Results: We probe the structure of long Galactic bar, as well as its far edge at l=-14 deg. The differences between counts with and without extinction correction allow us to produce a crude extinction map showing regions with high extinction, mainly beyond the end of long Galactic bar. The latitudinal profiles show evidence of the centroid vertical variation with Galactic longitude reaching a minimum at l=-13.8 deg. The bar has an inclination angle 43+/-5 deg with respect to the line Sun-Galactic center. In addition, we have determined the bar parameters, such as thickness, length, and stellar distribution.

astro-ph.GA↗