arXiv subjects

Michael J. West

Publications and source records attributed to Michael J. West.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

The ACS Virgo Cluster Survey XI. The Nature of Diffuse Star Clusters in Early-Type Galaxies

We use HST/ACS imaging of 100 early-type galaxies in the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey to investigate the nature of diffuse star clusters (DSCs). Compared to globular clusters (GCs), these star clusters have moderately low luminosities (M_V > -8) and a broad distribution of sizes (3 < r_h < 30 pc), but they are principally characterized by their low mean surface brightnesses which can be more than three magnitudes fainter than a typical GC (mu_g > 20 mag arcsec^-2). The median colors of diffuse star cluster systems are red, 1.1 < g-z < 1.6, which is redder than metal-rich GCs and often as red as the galaxy itself. Most DSC systems thus have mean ages older than 5 Gyr or else have super-solar metallicities. We find that 12 galaxies in our sample contain a significant excess of diffuse star cluster candidates -- nine are lenticulars (S0s), and five visibly contain dust. We also find a substantial population of DSCs in the halo of the giant elliptical M49, associated with the companion galaxy VCC 1199. Most DSC systems appear to be both aligned with the galaxy light and associated with galactic disks, but at the same time many lenticulars do not host substantial DSC populations. Diffuse star clusters in our sample share similar characteristics to those identified in other nearby lenticular, spiral, and dwarf galaxies, and we suggest that DSCs preferentially form, survive, and coevolve with galactic disks. Their properties are broadly consistent with those of merged star cluster complexes, and we note that despite being 3 - 5 magnitudes brighter than DSCs, ultra-compact dwarfs have similar surface brightnesses. The closest Galactic analogs to the DSCs are the old open clusters. We suggest that if a diffuse star cluster population did exist in the disk of the Milky Way, it would be very difficult to find. (Abridged)

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arXiv2005

The ACS Virgo Cluster Survey IX: The Color Distributions of Globular Cluster Systems in Early-Type Galaxies

We present the color distributions of globular cluster (GC) systems for 100 Virgo cluster early-type galaxies observed in the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey. The color distributions of individual GC systems are consistent with continuous trends across galaxy luminosity, color, and stellar mass. On average, almost all galaxies possess a component of metal-poor GCs, with the average fraction of metal-rich GCs ranging from 15 to 60%. The colors of both subpopulations correlate with host galaxy luminosity and color, with the red GCs having a steeper slope. To convert color to metallicity, we also introduce a preliminary (g-z)-[Fe/H] relation calibrated to Galactic, M49 and M87 GCs. This relation is nonlinear with a steeper slope for [Fe/H] < -0.8. As a result, the metallicities of the metal-poor and metal-rich GCs vary similarly with respect to galaxy luminosity and stellar mass, with relations of [Fe/H]_MP ~ L^0.16 ~ M_star^0.17 and [Fe/H]_MR ~ L^0.26 ~ M_star^0.22, respectively. Although these relations are shallower than the mass-metallicity relation predicted by wind models and observed for dwarf galaxies, they are very similar to the mass-metallicity relation for star forming galaxies in the same mass range. The offset between the two GC populations varies slowly (~ M_star^0.05) and is approximately 1 dex across three orders of magnitude in mass, suggesting a nearly universal amount of enrichment between the formation of the two populations of GCs. We also find that although the metal-rich GCs show a larger dispersion in color, it is the *metal-poor GCs* that have an equal or larger dispersion in metallicity. Like the color-magnitude relation, these relations derived from globular clusters present stringent constraints on the formation and evolution of early-type galaxies. (Abridged)

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arXiv2005

The Road Less Traveled: Non-traditional Ways of Communicating Astronomy with the Public

In an age of media saturation, how can astronomers succeed in grabbing the public's attention to increase awareness and understanding of astronomy? Here I discuss some creative alternatives to press releases, public lectures, television programs, books, magazine articles, and other traditional ways of bringing astronomy to a wide audience. By thinking outside the box and employing novel tools - from truly terrible sci-fi movies, to modern Stonehenges, to music from the stars - astronomers are finding effective new ways of communicating the wonders of the universe to people of all ages.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2005

The ACS Virgo Cluster Survey X. Half-light Radii of Globular Clusters in Early-Type Galaxies: Environmental Dependencies and a Standard Ruler for Distance Estimation

We have measured half-light radii, r_h, for globular clusters (GCs) belonging to the 100 early-type galaxies observed in the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey and the elliptical galaxy NGC 4697. An analysis of the dependencies of the measured r_h on both the properties of the GCs themselves and their host galaxies reveals that the average r_h increases with increasing galactocentric distance or, alternatively, with decreasing galaxy surface brightness. For the first time, we find that the average r_h decreases with the host galaxy color. We also show that there is no evidence for a variation of r_h with the luminosity of the GCs. Finally, we find in agreement with previous observations that the average r_h depends on the color of GCs, with red GCs being ~17% smaller than their blue counterparts. We show that this difference is probably a consequence of an intrinsic mechanism, rather than projection effects, and that it is in good agreement with the mechanism proposed in Jordan (2004). We discuss these findings in light of two simple pictures for the origin of the r_h of GCs and show that both lead to a behavior in rough agreement with the observations. After accounting for the dependencies found we show that the average GC half-light radii can be successfully used as a standard ruler for distance estimation. We outline the methodology, and provide a calibration for its use. We find = 2.7 +- 0.35 pc for GCs with (g-z)=1.2 mag in a galaxy with color (g-z)_{gal}=1.5 mag and at an underlying surface z-band brightness of mu_z = 21 mag arcsec^{-2}. Using this technique, we place an upper limit of 3.4 Mpc on the 1-sigma line-of-sight depth of the Virgo Cluster. Finally, we examine the form of the r_h distribution for our sample galaxies and provide an analytic expression which successfully describes this distribution. (Abridged)

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arXiv2005

The ACS Virgo Cluster Survey V: SBF Calibration for Giant and Dwarf Early-type Galaxies

As part of the Advanced Camera for Survey (ACS) Virgo Cluster Survey, we have measured Surface Brightness Fluctuations (SBF) in a sample of 100 early-type Virgo galaxies. Distances derived from these measurements are needed to explore the three-dimensional structure of the Virgo Cluster, study the intrinsic parameters of globular clusters associated with the program galaxies, and compare with the galaxy distances derived from globular cluster luminosity functions. Our SBF measurements have been performed in the F850LP bandpass of the Wide Field Channel of the ACS on the Hubble Space Telescope. These are the first measurements of this kind, and we present the first SBF calibration for this bandpass. The measured fluctuations depend on galaxy stellar population variations, which we quantify by galaxy color (g_475-z_850)_0, where g_475 and z_850 are the galaxy magnitudes, respectively, in the F475W and F850LP ACS filters. We derive the following calibration for the absolute SBF magnitude M_850: M_850 = -2.06 +/- 0.04 + (2.0 +/ 0.2) [ (g_475-z_850)_0-1.3 ] in the range 1.3 <(g_475-z_850)_0 <= 1.6, and M_850 = -2.06 +/- 0.04 + (0.9 +/- 0.2) [ (g_475-z_850)_0-1.3 ] in the range 1.0 <=(g_475-z_850)_0 <= 1.3. Physically, the two different color regimes correspond to different galaxy types: giant ellipticals and S0s at the red end, and early-type dwarfs at the blue end. For the first time in SBF studies, we are able to provide a firm empirical calibration of SBF in early-type dwarf galaxies. Our results agree with stellar population model predictions from Bruzual & Charlot (2003).

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

The ACS Virgo Cluster Survey. VII. Resolving the Connection Between Globular Clusters and Ultra-Compact Dwarf Galaxies

We investigate the connection between globular clusters and ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) by examining the properties of several compact objects associated with M87, all of which were previously classified as globular clusters. Combining imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope with ground-based Keck spectroscopy, we find two objects to have half-light radii, velocity dispersions and mass-to-light ratios that are consistent with the predictions of population synthesis models for old, metal-rich, luminous globular clusters. Three other objects are much larger, with half-light radii of approximately 20pc, and have V-band mass-to-light ratios in the range 6-9. These objects, which we consider to be UCDs, resemble the nuclei of nucleated dwarf elliptical galaxies in Virgo, having similar mass-to-light ratios, luminosities and colors. These UCDs are found to obey the extrapolated scaling relations of galaxies more closely than those of Galactic globular clusters. There appears to be a transition between the two types of stellar systems at a mass of about two million solar masses. If the UCDs are gravitationally bound, then we suggest that the presence of dark matter is the fundamental property distinguishing globular clusters from UCDs. More than half of the UCD candidates uncovered in the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey are associated with a single galaxy -- M87 -- which suggests that proximity to the Virgo center may be of critical importance for the formation of these objects. These results show that distinguishing bonafide UCDs from bright globular clusters requires a careful analysis of their detailed structural and dynamical properties, particularly their mass-to-light ratios. (ABRIDGED)

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

The ACS Virgo Cluster Survey IV: Data Reduction Procedures for Surface Brightness Fluctuation Measurements with the Advanced Camera for Surveys

The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Virgo Cluster Survey is a large program to image 100 early-type Virgo galaxies using the F475W and F850LP bandpasses of the Wide Field Channel of the ACS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The scientific goals of this survey include an exploration of the three-dimensional structure of the Virgo Cluster and a critical examination of the usefulness of the globular cluster luminosity function as a distance indicator. Both of these issues require accurate distances for the full sample of 100 program galaxies. In this paper, we describe our data reduction procedures and examine the feasibility of accurate distance measurements using the method of surface brightness fluctuations (SBF) applied to the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey F850LP imaging. The ACS exhibits significant geometrical distortions due to its off-axis location in the HST focal plane; correcting for these distortions by resampling the pixel values onto an undistorted frame results in pixel correlations that depend on the nature of the interpolation kernel used for the resampling. This poses a major challenge for the SBF technique, which normally assumes a flat power spectrum for the noise. We investigate a number of different interpolation kernels and show through an analysis of simulated galaxy images having realistic noise properties that it is possible, depending on the kernel, to measure SBF distances using distortion-corrected ACS images without introducing significant additional error from the resampling. We conclude by showing examples of real image power spectra from our survey.

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arXiv2004

The ACS Virgo Cluster Survey II. Data Reduction Procedures

The ACS Virgo Cluster Survey is a large program to carry out multi-color imaging of 100 early-type members of the Virgo Cluster using the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. Deep F475W and F850LP images (~ SDSS g and z) are being used to study the central regions of the program galaxies, their globular cluster systems, and the three-dimensional structure of Virgo itself. In this paper, we describe in detail the data reduction procedures used for the survey, including image registration, drizzling strategies, the computation of weight images, object detection, the identification of globular cluster candidates, and the measurement of their photometric and structural parameters.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

The ACS Virgo Cluster Survey III. Chandra and HST Observations of Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries and Globular Clusters in M87

The ACIS instrument on board the Chandra X-ray Observatory has been used to carry out the first systematic study of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) in M87. We identify 174 X-ray point-sources, of which ~150 are likely LMXBs. This LMXB catalog is combined with deep F475W and F850LP images taken with ACS on HST to examine the connection between LMXBs and globular clusters in M87. Of the 1688 globular clusters in our catalog, f_X = 3.6 +- 0.5% contain a LMXB and we find that the metal-rich clusters are 3 +- 1 times more likely to harbor a LMXB than their metal-poor counterparts. In agreement with previous findings for other galaxies, we find that brighter, more metal-rich clusters are more likely to contain a LMXB. For the first time, however, we are able to demonstrate that the probability, p_X, that a given cluster will contain a LMXB depends sensitively on the dynamical properties of the host cluster. Specifically, we use the HST images to measure the half-light radius, concentration index and central density, ρ_0, for each globular, and define a parameter, Γ, which is related to the tidal capture and binary-neutron star exchange rate. Our preferred form for p_X is then p_X \propto Γρ_0^{-0.42\pm0.11} (Z/Z_{\odot})^{0.33\pm0.1}. We argue that if the form of p_X is determined by dynamical processes, then the observed metallicity dependence is a consequence of an increased number of neutron stars per unit mass in metal-rich globular clusters. Finally, we find no compelling evidence for a break in the luminosity distribution of resolved X-ray point sources. Instead, the LMXB luminosity function is well described by a power law with an upper cutoff at L_X ~ 10^39 erg/s. (abridged)

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arXiv2004

XMM Cluster Survey: X-ray source identification using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

[ABRIDGED] The XMM Cluster Survey (XCS) is predicted to detect thousands of clusters observed serendipitously in XMM-Newton pointings. We investigate automating optical follow-up of cluster candidates using the SDSS public archive, concentrating on 42 XMM observations that overlap the SDSS First Data Release. Restricting to the inner 11 arcminutes of the XMM field-of-view gives 637 unique X-ray sources across a 3.09 deg^2 region with SDSS coverage. The log N-log S relation indicates survey completeness to a flux limit of around 1x10^{-14} erg s^-1 cm^-2. We have cross-correlated XMM point sources with SDSS quasars, finding 103 unique matches from which we determine a matching radius of 3.8 arcseconds. Using this we make immediate identifications of roughly half of all XMM point sources as quasars (159) or stars (55). We have estimated the typical error on SDSS-determined photometric cluster redshifts to be 5% for relaxed systems, and 11% for disturbed systems, by comparing them to spectroscopic redshifts for eight previously-known clusters. The error for disturbed systems may be problematic for cluster surveys relying on photometric redshifts alone. We use the False Discovery Rate to select 41 XMM sources (25 point-like, 16 extended) statistically associated with SDSS galaxy overdensities. Of the extended sources, 5 are new cluster candidates and 11 are previously-known clusters (0.044 1 clusters rediscovered by our wavelet-based detection software. These results show that the SDSS can provide useful automated follow-up to X-ray cluster surveys, but cannot provide all the optical follow-up necessary for X-ray cluster surveys.

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arXiv2004

The ACS Virgo Cluster Survey. I. Introduction to the Survey

The Virgo Cluster is the dominant mass concentration in the Local Supercluster and the largest collection of elliptical and lenticular galaxies in the nearby universe. In this paper, we present an introduction to the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey: a program to image, in the F475W and F850LP bandpasses (Sloan g and z), 100 early-type galaxies in the Virgo Cluster using the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope. We describe the selection of the program galaxies and their ensemble properties, the choice of filters, the field placement and orientation, the limiting magnitudes of the survey, coordinated parallel observations of 100 "intergalactic" fields with WFPC2, and supporting ground-based spectroscopic observations of the program galaxies. In terms of depth, spatial resolution, sample size and homogeneity, this represents the most comprehensive imaging survey to date of early-type galaxies in a cluster environment. We briefly describe the main scientific goals of the survey which include the measurement of luminosities, metallicities, ages, and structural parameters for the many thousands of globular clusters associated with these galaxies, a high-resolution isophotal analysis of galaxies spanning a factor of ~ 450 in luminosity and sharing a common environment, the measurement of accurate distances for the full sample of galaxies using the method of surface brightness fluctuations, and a determination of the three-dimensional structure of Virgo itself.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Reconstructing Galaxy Histories from Globular Clusters

Nearly a century after the true nature of galaxies as distant "island universes" was established, their origin and evolution remain great unsolved problems of modern astrophysics. One of the most promising ways to investigate galaxy formation is to study the ubiquitous globular star clusters that surround most galaxies. Recent advances in our understanding of the globular cluster systems of the Milky Way and other galaxies point to a complex picture of galaxy genesis driven by cannibalism, collisions, bursts of star formation and other tumultuous events.

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arXiv2003

The Ghosts of Galaxies: Tidal Debris in Clusters

Gravitational interactions in rich clusters can strip material from the outer parts of galaxies or even completely disrupt entire systems, giving rise to large scale, low surface brightness ghostly features stretching across intergalactic space. The nearby Coma and Centaurus clusters both have striking examples of galaxy ghosts, in the form of 100 kpc-long plumes of intergalactic debris. By searching HST archival images, we have found numerous other examples of galaxy ghosts in rich clusters at low redshift, evidence that galaxy destruction and recycling are ubiquitous, important in cluster formation and evolution, and continue to mold clusters at the present epoch. Many ghosts appear in X-ray bright clusters, perhaps signaling a connection with energetic subcluster mergers. The fate of such material has important ramifications for cluster evolution. Our new HST WFPC2 V & I images of a portion of the Centaurus plume reveal that it contains an excess of discrete objects with -12 < M_v < -6, consistent with being globular clusters or smaller dwarf galaxies. This tidally liberated material is being recycled directly into the intracluster population of stars, dwarf galaxies, globular clusters, and gas, which may have been built largely from a multitude of similar events over the life of the cluster.

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arXiv2003

Hubble Space Telescope Observations of cD Galaxies and their Globular Cluster Systems

We have used WFPC2 on the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain F450W and F814W images of four cD galaxies (NGC 541 in Abell 194, NGC 2832 in Abell 779, NGC 4839 in Abell 1656 and NGC 7768 in Abell 2666) in the range 5400 < cz < 8100 km s^{-1}. For NGC 541, the HST data are supplemented by ground-based B and I images obtained with the FORS1 on the VLT. We present surface brightness and color profiles for each of the four galaxies, confirming their classification as cD galaxies. Isophotal analyses reveal the presence of subarcsecond-scale dust disks in the nuclei of NGC 541 and NGC 7768. Despite the extreme nature of these galaxies in terms of spatial extent and luminosity, our analysis of their globular cluster systems reveals no anomalies in terms of specific frequencies, metallicity gradients, average metallicities, or the metallicity offset between the globulars and the host galaxy. We show that the latter offset appears roughly constant at Δ[Fe/H] ~ 0.8 dex for early-type galaxies spanning a luminosity range of roughly four orders of magnitude. We combine the globular cluster metallicity distributions with an empirical technique described in a series of earlier papers to investigate the form of the protogalactic mass spectrum in these cD galaxies. We find that the observed GC metallicity distributions are consistent with those expected if cD galaxies form through the cannibalism of numerous galaxies and protogalactic fragments which formed their stars and globular clusters before capture and disruption. However, the properties of their GC systems suggest that dynamical friction is not the primary mechanism by which these galaxies are assembled. We argue that cDs instead form rapidly, via hierarchical merging, prior to cluster virialization.

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arXiv2003

Intergalactic Globular Clusters

We confirm and extend our previous detection of a population of intergalactic globular clusters in Abell 1185, and report the first discovery of an intergalactic globular cluster in the nearby Virgo cluster of galaxies. The numbers, colors and luminosities of these objects can place constraints on their origin, which in turn may yield new insights to the evolution of galaxies in dense environments.

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arXiv2003

Cluster--Galaxy Interactions in Coma

The galaxies NGC 4911 and 4921 in the Coma cluster provide spectacular examples of luminous, grand design spirals passing through the hot intracluster medium of a rich cluster of galaxies. Chandra ACIS-I imaging of their environment, coupled with CFHT, HST/WFPC2, and VLA radio imaging, reveal the interactions between the hot X-ray gas and the ISM of the spirals, highlighting the linkage between galaxy and cluster evolution generated by such interactions.

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arXiv2003

A Point Source Excess in Abell 1185: Intergalactic Globular Clusters?

Deep imaging with WFPC2 and the Hubble Space Telescope has been used to search for a population of intergalactic globular clusters (GCs) belonging to Abell 1185, a richness I cluster at cz = 9800 km/s. The field is noteworthy in that it contains no bright galaxies and yet is centered on the peak of the cluster's X-ray surface brightess distribution. We detect a total of 99 point sources in this field to a limiting magnitude I_F814W ~ 26. An identical analysis of the Hubble Deep Field North, which serves as our control field, reveals a total of 12 objects in the same magnitude range. We discuss possible explanations for this discrepancy, and conclude that the point source excess is likely due to the presence of GCs within A1185. The number and spatial distribution of these GCs are consistent with their being intergalactic in nature, although we cannot rule out the possibility that some of the GCs may be associated with neighboring bright galaxies. Deeper imaging with the Advanced Camera for Surveys may resolve this ambiguity.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

The Relative Ages of the Globular Cluster Subpopulations in M87

Relative ages for the globular cluster (GC) subpopulations in the Virgo giant elliptical galaxy M87 (NGC 4486) have been determined from Stroemgren photometry obtained with WFPC2 on board HST. Using a variety of population synthesis models, and assuming the GC mass at the turnover of the luminosity function is the same for both subpopulations, differential ages have been determined from the observed magnitudes at the turnover of the globular cluster luminosity function and from the mean color of each subpopulation. We measure an age difference between the two subpopulations of 0.2 +/- 1.5 (systematic) +/- 2 (random) Gyr, in the sense that the blue GCs are formally older. Thus, to within our measurement errors, the two subpopulations are found to be coeval. Combined with previous spectroscopic age determinations for M87 GCs, our results favor a picture in which the GCs associated with this galaxy are formed at high redshift, and within a period of a few Gyr.

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