arXiv subjects

Puragra Guhathakurta

Publications and source records attributed to Puragra Guhathakurta.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Kinematics and Metallicity of Red Giant Branch Stars in the Northeast Shelf of M31

We obtained Keck/DEIMOS spectra of 556 individual red giant branch stars in 4 spectroscopic fields spanning $13-31$ projected kpc along the Northeast (NE) shelf of M31. We present the first detection of a complete wedge pattern in the space of projected M31-centric radial distance versus line-of-sight velocity for this feature, which includes the returning stream component of the shelf. This wedge pattern agrees with expectations of a tidal shell formed in a radial merger and provides strong evidence in favor of predictions of Giant Stellar Stream (GSS) formation models in which the NE shelf originates from the second orbital wrap of the tidal debris. The observed concentric wedge patterns of the NE, West (W), and Southeast (SE) shelves corroborate this interpretation independently of the models. We do not detect a kinematical signature in the NE shelf region corresponding to an intact progenitor core, favoring GSS formation models in which the progenitor is completely disrupted. The shelf's photometric metallicity distribution implies that it is dominated by tidal material, as opposed to the phase-mixed stellar halo or the disk. The metallicity distribution ([Fe/H]$_{\rm phot}$ = $-0.42$ $\pm$ $0.01$) also matches the GSS, and consequently the W and SE shelves, further supporting a direct physical association between the tidal features.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

AGC 226178 and NGVS 3543: Two deceptive dwarfs towards Virgo

The two sources AGC 226178 and NGVS 3543, an extremely faint, clumpy, blue stellar system and a low surface brightness dwarf spheroidal, are adjacent systems in the direction of the Virgo cluster. Both have been studied in detail previously, with it being suggested that they are unrelated normal dwarf galaxies or that NGVS 3543 recently lost its gas through ram pressure stripping, and that AGC 226178 formed from this stripped gas. However, with HST ACS imaging we demonstrate that the stellar population of NGVS 3543 is inconsistent with being at the distance of the Virgo cluster, and that it is likely a foreground object at approximately 10 Mpc. Whereas the stellar population of AGC 226178 is consistent with it being a very young (10-100 Myr) object in the Virgo cluster. Through a re-analysis of the original ALFALFA HI detection we show that AGC 226178 likely formed from gas stripped from the nearby dwarf galaxy VCC 2034, a hypothesis strengthened by the high metallicity measured with MUSE VLT observations. However, it is unclear whether ram pressure or a tidal interaction is responsible for stripping the gas. AGC 226178 is one of at least five similar objects now known towards Virgo. These objects are all young and unlikely to remain visible for over ~500 Myr, suggesting that they are continually produced in the cluster.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Optical Rebrightening of Extragalactic Transients from the Zwicky Transient Facility

Ongoing large-scale optical time-domain surveys, such as the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), are producing alerts at unprecedented rates. Analysis of transient sources has so far followed two distinct paths: archival analysis of data on transient sources at a time when they are no longer observable and real-time analysis at the time when the sources are first detected. The latter is the realm of alert brokers such as the Arizona-NOIRLab Temporal Analysis and Response to Events System (ANTARES). In this paper, we synthesize the two analysis paths and present a first systematic study of archival alert-broker data, focusing on extragalactic transients with multipeaked light curves identified in the ANTARES archive of ZTF alerts. Our analysis yields a sample of 37 such sources, including core-collapse supernovae (with two analogs of iPTF14hls), thermonuclear supernovae interacting with their surrounding circumstellar medium, tidal disruption events, luminous blue variables, and as yet unclassified objects. A large fraction of the identified sources is currently active, warranting allocation of follow-up resources in the immediate future to further constrain their nature and the physical processes at work.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Fast, Slow, Early, Late: Quenching Massive Galaxies at z~0.8

We investigate the stellar populations for a sample of 161 massive, mainly quiescent galaxies at $\langle z_{\rm obs} \rangle=0.8$ with deep Keck/DEIMOS rest-frame optical spectroscopy (HALO7D survey). With the fully Bayesian framework Prospector, we simultaneously fit the spectroscopic and photometric data with an advanced physical model (including non-parametric star-formation histories, emission lines, variable dust attenuation law, and dust and AGN emission) together with an uncertainty and outlier model. We show that both spectroscopy and photometry are needed to break the dust-age-metallicity degeneracy. We find a large diversity of star-formation histories: although the most massive ($M_{\star}>2\times10^{11}~M_{\odot}$) galaxies formed the earliest (formation redshift of $z_{\rm f}\approx5-10$ with a short star-formation timescale of $τ_{\rm SF}\lesssim1~\mathrm{Gyr}$), lower-mass galaxies have a wide range of formation redshifts, leading to only a weak trend of $z_{\rm f}$ with $M_{\star}$. Interestingly, several low-mass galaxies with have formation redshifts of $z_{\rm f}\approx5-8$. Star-forming galaxies evolve about the star-forming main sequence, crossing the ridgeline several times in their past. Quiescent galaxies show a wide range and continuous distribution of quenching timescales ($τ_{\rm quench}\approx0-5~\mathrm{Gyr}$) with a median of $\langleτ_{\rm quench}\rangle=1.0_{-0.9}^{+0.8}~\mathrm{Gyr}$ and of quenching epochs of $z_{\rm quench}\approx0.8-5.0$ ($\langle z_{\rm quench}\rangle=1.3_{-0.4}^{+0.7}$). This large diversity of quenching timescales and epochs points toward a combination of internal and external quenching mechanisms. In our sample, rejuvenation and "late bloomers" are uncommon. In summary, our analysis supports the "grow & quench" framework and is consistent with a wide and continuously-populated diversity of quenching timescales.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

The Distance and Dynamical History of the Virgo Cluster Ultradiffuse Galaxy VCC 615

We use deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging to derive a distance to the Virgo Cluster ultradiffuse galaxy (UDG) VCC 615 using the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distance estimator. We detect 5,023 stars within the galaxy, down to a 50% completeness limit of F814W = 28.0, using counts in the surrounding field to correct for contamination due to background sources and Virgo intracluster stars. We derive an extinction-corrected F814W tip magnitude of $m_{\rm tip,0} = 27.19^{+0.07}_{-0.05}$, yielding a distance of $d=17.7^{+0.6}_{-0.4}$ Mpc. This places VCC 615 on the far side of the Virgo Cluster ($d_{\rm Virgo} = 16.5 Mpc$), at a Virgocentric distance of 1.3 Mpc and near the virial radius of the main body of Virgo. Coupling this distance with the galaxy's observed radial velocity, we find that VCC 615 is on an outbound trajectory, having survived a recent passage through the inner parts of the cluster. Indeed, our orbit modeling gives a 50% chance the galaxy passed inside the Virgo core (r<620 kpc) within the past Gyr, although very close passages directly through the cluster center (r<200 kpc) are unlikely. Given VCC 615's undisturbed morphology, we argue that the galaxy has experienced no recent and sudden transformation into a UDG due to the cluster potential, but rather is a long-lived UDG whose relatively wide orbit and large dynamical mass protect it from stripping and destruction by Virgo cluster tides. Finally, we also describe the serendipitous discovery of a nearby Virgo dwarf galaxy projected 90 arcseconds (7.2 kpc) away from VCC 615.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

The TREX Survey: Kinematical Complexity Throughout M33's Stellar Disk and Evidence for a Stellar Halo

We present initial results from a large spectroscopic survey of stars throughout M33's stellar disk. We analyze a sample of 1667 red giant branch (RGB) stars extending to projected distances of $\sim 11$ kpc from M33's center ($\sim 18$ kpc, or $\sim 10$ scale lengths, in the plane of the disk). The line-of-sight velocities of RGB stars show the presence of two kinematical components. One component is consistent with rotation in the plane of M33's HI disk and has a velocity dispersion ($\sim 19$ km s$^{-1}$) consistent with that observed in a comparison sample of younger stars, while the second component has a significantly higher velocity dispersion. A two-component fit to the RGB velocity distribution finds that the high dispersion component has a velocity dispersion of $59.3^{+2.6}_{-2.5}$ km s$^{-1}$ and rotates very slowly in the plane of the disk (consistent with no rotation at the $<1.5σ$ level), which favors interpreting it as a stellar halo rather than a thick disk population. A spatial analysis indicates that the fraction of RGB stars in the high-velocity-dispersion component decreases with increasing radius over the range covered by the spectroscopic sample. Our spectroscopic sample establishes that a significant high-velocity-dispersion component is present in M33's RGB population from near M33's center to at least the radius where M33's HI disk begins to warp at 30$'$ ($\sim 7.5$ kpc) in the plane of the disk. This is the first detection and spatial characterization of a kinematically hot stellar component throughout M33's inner regions.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Star Formation Histories of Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies: environmental differences between Magellanic and non-Magellanic satellites?

We present the color-magnitude diagrams and star formation histories (SFHs) of seven ultra-faint dwarf galaxies: Horologium 1, Hydra 2, Phoenix 2, Reticulum 2, Sagittarius 2, Triangulum 2, and Tucana 2, derived from high-precision Hubble Space Telescope photometry. We find that the SFH of each galaxy is consistent with them having created at least 80% of the stellar mass by $z\sim6$. For all galaxies, we find quenching times older than 11.5 Gyr ago, compatible with the scenario in which reionization suppresses the star formation of small dark matter halos. However, our analysis also reveals some differences in the SFHs of candidate Magellanic Cloud satellites, i.e., galaxies that are likely satellites of the Large Magellanic Cloud and that entered the Milky Way potential only recently. Indeed, Magellanic satellites show quenching times about 600 Myr more recent with respect to those of other Milky Way satellites, on average, even though the respective timings are still compatible within the errors. This finding is consistent with theoretical models that suggest that satellites' SFHs may depend on their host environment at early times, although we caution that within the error bars all galaxies in our sample are consistent with being quenched at a single epoch.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Hubble Space Telescope Observations of NGC 253 Dwarf Satellites: Discovery of Three Ultra-faint Dwarf Galaxies

We present deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging of five faint dwarf galaxies associated with the nearby spiral NGC 253 (D$\approx$3.5 Mpc). Three of these are newly discovered ultra-faint dwarf galaxies, while all five were found in the Panoramic Imaging Survey of Centaurus and Sculptor (PISCeS), a Magellan$+$Megacam survey to identify faint dwarfs and other substructures in resolved stellar light around massive galaxies outside of the Local Group. Our HST data reach $\gtrsim$3 magnitudes below the tip of the red giant branch for each dwarf, allowing us to derive their distances, structural parameters, and luminosities. All five systems contain predominantly old, metal-poor stellar populations (age$\sim$12 Gyr, [M/H]$\lesssim$$-$1.5) and have sizes ($r_{h}$$\sim$110-3000 pc) and luminosities ($M_V$$\sim$$-7$ to $-12$ mag) largely consistent with Local Group dwarfs. The three new NGC 253 satellites are among the faintest systems discovered beyond the Local Group. We also use archival HI data to place limits on the gas content of our discoveries. Deep imaging surveys such as our program around NGC 253 promise to elucidate the faint end of the satellite luminosity function and its scatter across a range of galaxy masses, morphologies, and environments in the decade to come.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Elemental Abundances in M31: Gradients in the Giant Stellar Stream

We analyze existing measurements of [Fe/H] and [$α$/Fe] for individual red giant branch (RGB) stars in the Giant Stellar Stream (GSS) of M31 to determine whether spatial abundance gradients are present. These measurements were obtained from low- ($R \sim 3000$) and moderate- ($R \sim 6000$) resolution Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy using spectral synthesis techniques as part of the Elemental Abundances in M31 survey. From a sample of 62 RGB stars spanning the GSS at 17, 22, and 33 projected kpc, we measure a [Fe/H] gradient of $-$0.018 $\pm$ 0.003 dex kpc$^{-1}$ and negligible [$α$/Fe] gradient with M31-centric radius. We investigate GSS abundance patterns in the outer halo using additional [Fe/H] and [$α$/Fe] measurements for 6 RGB stars located along the stream at 45 and 58 projected kpc. These abundances provide tentative evidence that the trends in [Fe/H] and [$α$/Fe] beyond 40 kpc in the GSS are consistent with those within 33 kpc. We also compare the GSS abundances to 65 RGB stars located along the possibly related Southeast (SE) shelf substructure at 12 and 18 projected kpc. The abundances of the GSS and SE shelf are consistent, supporting a common origin hypothesis, although this interpretation may be complicated by the presence of [Fe/H] gradients in the GSS. We discuss the abundance patterns in the context of photometric studies from the literature and explore implications for the properties of the GSS progenitor, suggesting that the high $\langle$[$α$/Fe]$\rangle$ of the GSS (+0.40 $\pm$ 0.05 dex) favors a major merger scenario for its formation.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Resolved Dwarf Galaxy Searches within ~5 Mpc with the Vera Rubin Observatory and Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam

We present a preview of the faint dwarf galaxy discoveries that will be possible with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam in the next decade. In this work, we combine deep ground-based images from the Panoramic Imaging Survey of Centaurus and Sculptor (PISCeS) and extensive image simulations to investigate the recovery of faint, resolved dwarf galaxies in the Local Volume with a matched-filter technique. We adopt three fiducial distances - 1.5, 3.5, 5 Mpc, and quantitatively evaluate the effects on dwarf detection of varied stellar backgrounds, ellipticity, and Milky Way foreground contamination and extinction. We show that our matched-filter method is powerful for identifying both compact and extended systems, and near-future surveys will be able to probe at least ~4.5 mag below the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) for a distance of up to 1.5 Mpc, and ~2 mag below the TRGB at 5 Mpc. This will push the discovery frontier for resolved dwarf galaxies to fainter magnitudes, lower surface brightnesses, and larger distances. Our simulations show the secure census of dwarf galaxies down to $M_{V}$$\approx$-5, -7, -8, will be soon within reach, out to 1.5 Mpc, 3.5 Mpc, and 5 Mpc, respectively, allowing us to quantify the statistical fluctuations in satellite abundances around hosts, and parse environmental effects as a function of host properties.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

NGC 5128 globular cluster candidates out to 150 kpc: a comprehensive catalog from Gaia and ground based data

We present a new catalog of 40502 globular cluster (GC) candidates in NGC 5128 out to a projected radius of $\sim$150 kpc, based on data from the Panoramic Imaging Survey of Centaurus and Sculptor (PISCeS), Gaia Data Release 2, and the NOAO Source Catalog. Ranking these candidates based on the likelihood that they are true GCs, we find that approximately 1900 belong to our top two ranking categories and should be the highest priority for spectroscopic follow-up for confirmation. Taking into account our new data and a vetting of previous GC catalogs, we estimate a total GC population of $1450 \pm 160$ GCs. We show that a substantial number of sources previously argued to be low-velocity GCs are instead foreground stars, reducing the inferred GC velocity dispersion. This work showcases the power of Gaia to identify slightly extended sources at the $\sim 4$ Mpc distance of NGC 5128, enabling accurate identification of GCs throughout the entire extended halo, not just the inner regions that have been the focus of most previous work.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

The Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury: Triangulum Extended Region (PHATTER) I. Ultraviolet to Infrared Photometry of 22 Million Stars in M33

We present panchromatic resolved stellar photometry for 22 million stars in the Local Group dwarf spiral Triangulum (M33), derived from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) in the optical (F475W, F814W), and the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) in the near ultraviolet (F275W, F336W) and near-infrared (F110W, F160W) bands. The large, contiguous survey area covers $\sim$14 square kpc and extends to 3.5 kpc (14 arcmin, or 1.5-2 scale lengths) from the center of M33. The PHATTER observing strategy and photometry technique closely mimic those of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT), but with updated photometry techniques that take full advantage of all overlapping pointings (aligned to within $<$5-10 milliarcseconds) and improved treatment of spatially-varying point spread functions. The photometry reaches a completeness-limited depth of F475W$\sim$28.5 in the lowest surface density regions observed in M33 and F475W$\sim$26.5 in the most crowded regions found near the center of M33. We find the young populations trace several relatively tight arms, while the old populations show a clear, looser two-armed structure. We present extensive analysis of the data quality including artificial star tests to quantify completeness, photometric uncertainties, and flux biases. This stellar catalog is the largest ever produced for M33, and is publicly available for download by the community.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

Elemental Abundances in M31: Properties of the Inner Stellar Halo

We present measurements of [Fe/H] and [$α$/Fe] for 128 individual red giant branch stars (RGB) in the stellar halo of M31, including its Giant Stellar Stream (GSS), obtained using spectral synthesis of low- and medium-resolution Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy ($R \sim 3000$ and 6000, respectively). We observed four fields in M31's stellar halo (at projected radii of 9, 18, 23, and 31 kpc), as well as two fields in the GSS (at 33 kpc). In combination with existing literature measurements, we have increased the sample size of [Fe/H] and [$α$/Fe] measurements from 101 to a total of 229 individual M31 RGB stars. From this sample, we investigate the chemical abundance properties of M31's inner halo, finding $\langle$[Fe/H]$\rangle$ = $-$1.08 $\pm$ 0.04 and $\langle$[$α$/Fe]$\rangle$ = 0.40 $\pm$ 0.03. Between 8--34 kpc, the inner halo has a steep [Fe/H] gradient ($-$0.025 $\pm$ 0.002 dex kpc$^{-1}$) and negligible [$α$/Fe] gradient, where substructure in the inner halo is systematically more metal-rich than the smooth component of the halo at a given projected distance. Although the chemical abundances of the inner stellar halo are largely inconsistent with that of present-day dwarf spheroidal (dSph) satellite galaxies of M31, we identified 22 RGB stars kinematically associated with the smooth component of the stellar halo that have chemical abundance patterns similar to M31 dSphs. We discuss formation scenarios for M31's halo, concluding that these dSph-like stars may have been accreted from galaxies of similar stellar mass and star formation history, or of higher stellar mass and similar star formation efficiency.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

PHAT XX. AGB stars and other cool giants in M31 star clusters

The presence of AGB stars in clusters provides key constraints for stellar models, as has been demonstrated with historical data from the Magellanic Clouds. In this work, we look for candidate AGB stars in M31 star clusters from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) survey. Our photometric criteria selects stars brighter than the tip of the red giant branch, which includes the bulk of the thermally-pulsing AGB stars as well as early-AGB stars and other luminous cool giants expected in young stellar populations (e.g. massive red supergiants, and intermediate-mass red helium-burning stars). The AGB stars can be differentiated, a posteriori, using the ages already estimated for our cluster sample. 937 candidates are found within the cluster aperture radii, half (450) of which are very likely cluster members. Cross-matching with additional databases reveals two carbon stars and ten secure variables among them. The field-corrected age distribution reveals the presence of young supergiants peaking at ages smaller than 100 Myr, followed by a long tail of AGB stars extending up to the oldest possible ages. This long tail reveals the general decrease in the numbers of AGB stars from initial values of 50e-6/Msun at 100 Myr down to 5e-6/Msun at 10 Gyr. Theoretical models of near-solar metallicity reproduce this general trend, although with localized discrepancies over some age intervals, whose origin is not yet identified. The entire catalogue is released together with finding charts to facilitate follow-up studies.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

HST Proper Motions of NGC 147 and NGC 185: Orbital Histories and Test of Dynamically Coherent Andromeda Satellite Plane

We present the first proper motion (PM) measurements for the dwarf elliptical galaxies NGC 147 and NGC 185, two satellite galaxies of M31, using multi-epoch HST imaging data with time baselines of $\sim 8$ years. For each galaxy, we take an error-weighted average of measurements from HST ACS/WFC and WFC3/UVIS to determine the PMs. Our final results for the PMs are $(μ_\mathrm{W}, μ_\mathrm{N})_\mathrm{N147} = (-0.0232, 0.0378) \pm (0.0143, 0.0146)\,\mathrm{mas}\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ for NGC 147, and $(μ_\mathrm{W}, μ_\mathrm{N})_\mathrm{N185} = (-0.0242, 0.0058) \pm (0.0141, 0.0147)\,\mathrm{mas}\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ for NGC 185. The 2-dimensional direction of motion for NGC 147 about M31 is found to be aligned with its tidal tails. The 3-d positions and velocities of both galaxies are transformed into a common M31-centric coordinate system to study the detailed orbital histories of the combined M31+NGC 147+NGC 185 system via numerical orbit integration. We find that NGC 147 (NGC 185) had its closest passage to M31 0.3-0.5~Gyr ($\gtrsim 1.6$~Gyr) within the past 6 Gyr at distances of $\sim 70$ kpc (70-260 kpc). The pericentric times of NGC 147/NGC 185 correlate qualitatively well with the presence/absence of tidal tails seen around the galaxies. Our PMs show that the orbital poles of NGC 147, and also NGC 185 albeit to a lesser degree, agree within the uncertainties with the normal of the Great Plane of Andromeda (GPoA). These are the first measurements of the 3-d angular momentum vector of any satellite identified as original GPoA members. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that the GPoA may be a dynamically coherent entity. We revisit previous claims that NGC 147 and NGC 185 are binary galaxies and conclude that it is very unlikely the two galaxies were ever gravitationally bound to each other.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. XXXIV. Ultra-Compact Dwarf (UCD) Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster

We present a study of ultra compact dwarf (UCD) galaxies in the Virgo cluster based mainly on imaging from the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). Using $\sim$100 deg$^{2}$ of $u^*giz$ imaging, we have identified more than 600 candidate UCDs, from the core of Virgo out to its virial radius. Candidates have been selected through a combination of magnitudes, ellipticities, colors, surface brightnesses, half-light radii and, when available, radial velocities. Candidates were also visually validated from deep NGVS images. Subsamples of varying completeness and purity have been defined to explore the properties of UCDs and compare to those of globular clusters and the nuclei of dwarf galaxies with the aim of delineating the nature and origins of UCDs. From a surface density map, we find the UCDs to be mostly concentrated within Virgo's main subclusters, around its brightest galaxies. We identify several subsamples of UCDs -- i.e., the brightest, largest, and those with the most pronounced and/or asymmetric envelopes -- that could hold clues to the origin of UCDs and possible evolutionary links with dwarf nuclei. We find some evidence for such a connection from the existence of diffuse envelopes around some UCDs, and comparisons of radial distributions of UCDs and nucleated galaxies within the cluster.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). XXX. Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies and their Globular Cluster Systems

We present a study of ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in the Virgo Cluster based on deep imaging from the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). Applying a new definition for the UDG class based on galaxy scaling relations, we define samples of 44 and 26 UDGs using expansive and restrictive selection criteria, respectively. Our UDG sample includes objects that are significantly fainter than previously known UDGs: i.e., more than half are fainter than $\langleμ\rangle_e \sim27.5$ mag arcsec$^{-2}$. The UDGs in Virgo's core region show some evidence for being structurally distinct from "normal" dwarf galaxies, but this separation disappears when considering the full sample of galaxies throughout the cluster. UDGs are more centrally concentrated in their spatial distribution than other Virgo galaxies of similar luminosity, while their morphologies demonstrate that at least some UDGs owe their diffuse nature to physical processes---such as tidal interactions or low-mass mergers---that are at play within the cluster environment. The globular cluster (GC) systems of Virgo UDGs have a wide range in specific frequency ($S_N$), with a higher mean $S_N$ than "normal" Virgo dwarfs, but a lower mean $S_N$ than Coma UDGs at fixed luminosity. Their GCs are predominantly blue, with a small contribution from red clusters in the more massive UDGs. The combined GC luminosity function is consistent with those observed in dwarf galaxies, showing no evidence of being anomalously luminous. The diversity in their morphologies and their GC properties suggests no single process has given rise to all objects within the UDG class. Based on the available evidence, we conclude that UDGs are simply those systems that occupy the extended tails of the galaxy size and surface brightness distributions.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

Elemental Abundances in M31: Iron and Alpha Element Abundances in M31's Outer Halo

We present [Fe/H] and [$α$/Fe] abundances, derived using spectral synthesis techniques, for stars in M31's outer stellar halo. The 21 [Fe/H] measurements and 7 [$α$/Fe] measurements are drawn from fields ranging from 43 to 165 kpc in projected distance from M31. We combine our measurements with existing literature measurements, and compare the resulting sample of 23 stars with [Fe/H] and 9 stars with [$α$/Fe] measurements in M31's outer halo with [$α$/Fe] and [Fe/H] measurements, also derived from spectral synthesis, in M31's inner stellar halo ($r < $26 kpc) and dSph galaxies. The stars in M31's outer halo have [$α$/Fe] patterns that are consistent with the largest of M31's dSph satellites (And I and And VII). These abundances provide tentative evidence that the [$α$/Fe] abundances of stars in M31's outer halo are more similar to the abundances of Milky Way halo stars than to the abundances of stars in M31's inner halo. We also compare the spectral synthesis-based [Fe/H] measurements of stars in M31's halo with previous photometric [Fe/H] estimates, as a function of projected distance from M31. The spectral synthesis-based [Fe/H] measurements are consistent with a large-scale metallicity gradient previously observed in M31's stellar halo to projected distances as large as 100 kpc.

astro-ph.GA↗