arXiv subjects

Will Clarkson

Publications and source records attributed to Will Clarkson.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Extragalactic Star Cluster Science with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's High Latitude Wide Area Survey and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory

The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope's High Latitude Wide Area Survey will have a number of synergies with the Vera Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), particularly for extragalactic star clusters. Understanding the nature of star clusters and star cluster systems are key topics in many areas of astronomy, chief among them stellar evolution, high energy astrophysics, galaxy assembly/dark matter, the extragalactic distance scale, and cosmology. One of the challenges will be disentangling the age/metallicity degeneracy because young ($\sim$Myr) metal-rich clusters have similar SEDs to old ($\sim$Gyr) metal-poor clusters. Rubin will provide homogeneous, $ugrizy$ photometric coverage, and measurements in the red Roman filters will help break the age-metallicity and age-extinction degeneracies, providing the first globular cluster samples that cover wide areas while essentially free of contamination from Milky Way stars. Roman's excellent spatial resolution will also allow measurements of cluster sizes. We advocate for observations of a large sample of galaxies with a range of properties and morphologies in the Rubin/LSST footprint matching the depth of the LSST Wide-Fast-Deep field $i$ band limit (26.3 mag), and recommend adding the F213 filter to the survey.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

The Galactic Center with Roman

We advocate for a Galactic center (GC) field to be added to the Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey (GBTDS). The new field would yield high-cadence photometric and astrometric measurements of an unprecedented ${\sim}$3.3 million stars toward the GC. This would enable a wide range of science cases, such as finding star-compact object binaries that may ultimately merge as LISA-detectable gravitational wave sources, constraining the mass function of stars and compact objects in different environments, detecting populations of microlensing and transiting exoplanets, studying stellar flares and variability in young and old stars, and monitoring accretion onto the central supermassive black hole. In addition, high-precision proper motions and parallaxes would open a new window into the large-scale dynamics of stellar populations at the GC, yielding insights into the formation and evolution of galactic nuclei and their co-evolution with the growth of the supermassive black hole. We discuss the possible trade-offs between the notional GBTDS and the addition of a GC field with either an optimal or minimal cadence. Ultimately, the addition of a GC field to the GBTDS would dramatically increase the science return of Roman and provide a legacy dataset to study the mid-plane and innermost regions of our Galaxy.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

The Chemical/Dynamical Evolution of the Galactic Bulge

The last decade has seen apparent dramatic progress in large spectroscopic datasets aimed at the study of the Galactic bulge. We consider remaining problems that appear to be intractable with the existing data, including important issues such as whether the bulge and thick disk actually show distinct chemistry, and apparent dramatic changes in morphology at Solar metallicity, as well as large scale study of the heavy elements (including r-process) in the bulge. Although infrared spectroscopy is powerful, the lack of heavy element atomic transitions in the infrared renders impossible any survey of heavy elements from such data. We argue that uniform, high S/N, high resolution data in the optical offer an outstanding opportunity to resolve these problems and explore other populations in the bulge, such as RR Lyrae and hot HB stars.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

LSST Cadence Optimization White Paper: The Definitive Map of the Galactic bulge

We recommend configuring the LSST coverage of the inner Galactic plane to allow the production of the definitive age/metallicity map of the Galactic bulge from LSST data, matched to external surveys where appropriate. This will allow the formation history of the Galactic bulge to be reconstructed, as well as furnishing a huge legacy dataset to support one of the key LSST science goals (Mapping the Milky Way). We recommend precise multi-color $grizy$~photometry as deeply as spatial crowding will allow (ideally completing early in the project), complemented by a single-filter survey spread over the entire 10-year time baseline. Both strands should cover as broad an area within the Bulge as possible, with image quality sufficient to reach at least the bulge main sequence turn-off in seeing-limited observations. We specify metrics and a figure of merit by which candidate observing strategies could be evaluated with respect to `static' bulge science (proper motions and photometry)

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

The Plane's The Thing: The Case for Wide-Fast-Deep Coverage of the Galactic Plane and Bulge

We argue that the exclusion of the Galactic Plane and Bulge from the uniform wide-fast-deep (WFD) LSST survey cadence is fundamentally inconsistent with two of the main science drivers of LSST: Mapping the Milky Way and Exploring the Transient Optical Sky. We outline the philosophical basis for this claim and then describe a number of important science goals that can only be addressed by WFD-like coverage of the Plane and Bulge.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

White Paper: Exoplanetary Microlensing from the Ground in the 2020s

Microlensing can access planet populations that no other method can probe: cold wide-orbit planets beyond the snow line, planets in both the Galactic bulge and disk, and free floating planets (FFPs). The demographics of each population will provide unique constraints on planet formation. Over the past 5 years, U.S. microlensing campaigns with Spitzer and UKIRT have provided a powerful complement to international ground-based microlensing surveys, with major breakthroughs in parallax measurements and probing new regions of the Galaxy. The scientific vitality of these projects has also promoted the development of the U.S. microlensing community. In the 2020s, the U.S. can continue to play a major role in ground-based microlensing by leveraging U.S. assets to complement ongoing ground-based international surveys. LSST and UKIRT microlensing surveys would probe vast regions of the Galaxy, where planets form under drastically different conditions. Moreover, while ground-based surveys will measure the planet mass-ratio function beyond the snow line, adaptive optics (AO) observations with ELTs would turn all of these mass ratios into masses and also distinguish between very wide-orbit planets and genuine FFPs. To the extent possible, cooperation of U.S. scientists with international surveys should also be encouraged and supported.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2017

Science-Driven Optimization of the LSST Observing Strategy

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope is designed to provide an unprecedented optical imaging dataset that will support investigations of our Solar System, Galaxy and Universe, across half the sky and over ten years of repeated observation. However, exactly how the LSST observations will be taken (the observing strategy or "cadence") is not yet finalized. In this dynamically-evolving community white paper, we explore how the detailed performance of the anticipated science investigations is expected to depend on small changes to the LSST observing strategy. Using realistic simulations of the LSST schedule and observation properties, we design and compute diagnostic metrics and Figures of Merit that provide quantitative evaluations of different observing strategies, analyzing their impact on a wide range of proposed science projects. This is work in progress: we are using this white paper to communicate to each other the relative merits of the observing strategy choices that could be made, in an effort to maximize the scientific value of the survey. The investigation of some science cases leads to suggestions for new strategies that could be simulated and potentially adopted. Notably, we find motivation for exploring departures from a spatially uniform annual tiling of the sky: focusing instead on different parts of the survey area in different years in a "rolling cadence" is likely to have significant benefits for a number of time domain and moving object astronomy projects. The communal assembly of a suite of quantified and homogeneously coded metrics is the vital first step towards an automated, systematic, science-based assessment of any given cadence simulation, that will enable the scheduling of the LSST to be as well-informed as possible.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2011

Proper motions of the Arches cluster with Keck-LGS Adaptive Optics: the first kinematic mass measurement of the Arches

We report the first detection of the intrinsic velocity dispersion of the Arches cluster - a young (~2 Myr), massive (~10,000 Solar Mass) starburst cluster located near the Galactic center. This was accomplished using proper motion measurements within the central region of the cluster, obtained with the laser guide star adaptive optics system at Keck Observatory over a 3 year time baseline (2006-2009). This uniform dataset results in proper motion measurements that are improved by a factor ~5 over previous measurements from heterogeneous instruments, yielding internal velocity dispersion estimates 0.15 +/- 0.01 mas/yr, which corresponds to 5.4 +/- 0.4 km/s at a distance of 8.4 kpc. Projecting a simple model for the cluster onto the sky to compare with our proper motion dataset, in conjunction with surface density data, we estimate the total present-day mass of the cluster to be 15,000 (+7400 -6000) Solar masses. The mass in stars observed within a cylinder of radius R=0.4 pc is found to be 9000 (+4000 -3500) Solar Masses at formal 3-sigma confidence. This mass measurement is free from assumptions about the mass function of the cluster, and thus may be used to check mass estimates from photometry and simulation. When we conduct this check, we find that the present-day mass function of the Arches cluster is likely either top-heavy or truncated at low-mass, or both. Collateral benefits of our data and analysis include: 1. cluster membership probabilities, which may be used to extract a clean cluster sample for future photometric work; 2. a refined estimate of the bulk motion of the Arches cluster with respect to the field, which we find to be 172 +/- 15 km/s, which is slightly slower than suggested by previous VLT-Keck measurements; and 3. a velocity dispersion estimate for the field itself, which is likely dominated by the inner galactic bulge and the nuclear disk.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2010

Improving Galactic Center Astrometry by Reducing the Effects of Geometric Distortion

We present significantly improved proper motion measurements of the Milky Way's central stellar cluster. These improvements are made possible by refining our astrometric reference frame with a new geometric optical distortion model for the W. M. Keck II 10 m telescope's Adaptive Optics camera (NIRC2) in its narrow field mode. For the first time, this distortion model is constructed from on-sky measurements, and is made available to the public. When applied to widely dithered images, it produces residuals in the separations of stars that are a factor of ~3 smaller compared to the outcome using previous models. By applying this new model, along with corrections for differential atmospheric refraction, to widely dithered images of SiO masers at the Galactic center, we improve our ability to tie into the precisely measured radio Sgr A*-rest frame. The resulting infrared reference frame is ~2-3 times more accurate and stable than earlier published efforts. In this reference frame, Sgr A* is localized to within a position of 0.6 mas and a velocity of 0.09 mas/yr, or ~3.4 km/s at 8 kpc (1 sigma). While earlier proper motion studies defined a reference frame by assuming no net motion of the stellar cluster, this approach is fundamentally limited by the cluster's intrinsic dispersion and therefore will not improve with time. We define a reference frame with SiO masers and this reference frame's stability should improve steadily with future measurements of the SiO masers in this region. This is essential for achieving the necessary reference frame stability required to detect the effects of general relativity and extended mass on short-period stars at the Galactic center.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2010

Recent Results and Perspectives for Precision Astrometry and Photometry with Adaptive Optics

Large ground-based telescopes equipped with adaptive optics (AO) systems have ushered in a new era of high-resolution infrared photometry and astrometry. Relative astrometric accuracies of <0.2 mas have already been demonstrated from infrared images with spatial resolutions of 55-95 mas resolution over 10-20'' fields of view. Relative photometric accuracies of 3% and absolute photometric accuracies of 5%-20% are also possible. I will review improvements and current limitations in astrometry and photometry with adaptive optics of crowded stellar fields. These capabilities enable experiments such as measuring orbits for brown dwarfs and exoplanets, studying our Galaxy's supermassive black hole and its environment, and identifying individual stars in young star clusters, which can be used test the universality of the initial mass function.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2010

Increasing the Scientific Return of Stellar Orbits at the Galactic Center

We report a factor of $\sim$3 improvement in Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics (LGSAO) astrometric measurements of stars near the Galaxy's supermassive black hole (SMBH). By carrying out a systematic study of M92, we have produced a more accurate model for the camera's optical distortion. Updating our measurements with this model, and accounting for differential atmospheric refraction, we obtain estimates of the SMBH properties that are a factor of $\sim$2 more precise, and most notably, increase the likelihood that the black hole is at rest with respect to the nuclear star cluster. These improvements have also allowed us to extend the radius to which stellar orbital parameter estimates are possible by a factor of 2.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2009

Kinematics at the Edge of the Galactic Bulge: Evidence for Cylindrical Rotation

We present new results from BRAVA, a large scale radial velocity survey of the Galactic bulge, using M giant stars selected from the Two Micron All Sky Survey catalogue as targets for the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 4m Hydra multi-object spectrograph. The purpose of this survey is to construct a new generation of self-consistent bar models that conform to these observations. We report the dynamics for fields at the edge of the Galactic bulge at latitudes b=-8 deg. and compare to the dynamics at b=-4 deg. We find that the rotation curve V(r) is the same at b=-8 deg. as at b=-4 deg. That is, the Galactic boxy bulge rotates cylindrically, as do boxy bulges of other galaxies. The summed line of sight velocity distribution at b=-8 deg. is Gaussian, and the binned longitude-velocity plot shows no evidence for either a (disk) population with cold dynamics or for a (classical bulge) population with hot dynamics. The observed kinematics are well modeled by an edge-on N-body bar, in agreement with published structural evidence. Our kinematic observations indicate that the Galactic bulge is a prototypical product of secular evolution in galaxy disks, in contrast with stellar population results that are most easily understood if major mergers were the dominant formation process.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2008

Stellar Proper Motions in the Galactic Bulge from deep HST ACS/WFC Photometry

We present stellar proper motions in the Galactic bulge from the Sagittarius Window Eclipsing Extrasolar Search (SWEEPS) project using ACS/WFC on HST. Proper motions are extracted for more than 180,000 objects, with >81,000 measured to accuracy better than 0.3 mas/yr in both coordinates. We report several results based on these measurements: 1. Kinematic separation of bulge from disk allows a sample of >15,000 bulge objects to be extracted based on >6-sigma detections of proper motion, with <0.2% contamination from the disk. This includes the first detection of a candidate bulge Blue Straggler population. 2. Armed with a photometric distance modulus on a star by star basis, and using the large number of stars with high-quality proper motion measurements to overcome intrinsic scatter, we dissect the kinematic properties of the bulge as a function of distance along the line of sight. This allows us to extract the stellar circular speed curve from proper motions alone, which we compare with the circular speed curve obtained from radial velocities. 3. We trace the variation of the {l,b} velocity ellipse as a function of depth. 4. Finally, we use the density-weighted {l,b} proper motion ellipse produced from the tracer stars to assess the kinematic membership of the sixteen transiting planet candidates discovered in the Sagittarius Window; the kinematic distribution of the planet candidates is consistent with that of the disk and bulge stellar populations.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Planets in the Galactic Bulge: Results from the SWEEPS Project

The exoplanets discovered so far have been mostly around relatively nearby and bright stars. As a result, the host stars are mostly (i) in the Galactic disk, (ii) relatively massive, and (iii) relatively metal rich. The aim of the SWEEPS project is to extend our knowledge to stars which (i) are in a different part of the Galaxy, (ii) have lower masses, and (iii) have a large range of metallicities. To achieve this goal, we used the Hubble Space Telescope to search for transiting planets around F, G, K, and M dwarfs in the Galactic bulge. We photometrically monitored 180,000 stars in a dense bulge field continuously for 7 days. We discovered 16 candidate transiting extrasolar planets with periods of 0.6 to 4.2 days, including a new class of ultra-short period planets (USPPs) with P < 1.2 days. Radial-velocity observations of the two brightest candidates support their planetary nature. These results suggest that planets are as abundant in the Galactic bulge as they are in the solar neighborhood, and they are equally abundant around low-mass stars (within a factor 2). The planet frequency increases with metallicity even for the stars in the Galactic bulge. All the USPP hosts are low-mass stars, suggesting either that close-in planets around higher-mass stars are irradiatively evaporated, or that the planets can migrate to close-in orbits only around such old and low-mass stars.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Transiting extrasolar planetary candidates in the Galactic bulge

More than 200 extrasolar planets have been discovered around relatively nearby stars, primarily through the Doppler line shifts owing to the reflex motions of their host stars, and more recently through transits of some planets across the face of the host stars. The detection of planets with the shortest known periods, 1.2 to 2.5 days, has mainly resulted from transit surveys which have generally targeted stars more massive than 0.75 M_sun. Here we report the results from a planetary transit search performed in a rich stellar field towards the Galactic bulge. We discovered 16 candidates with orbital periods between 0.4 and 4.2 days, five of which orbit stars of 0.44 to 0.75 M_sun. In two cases, radial-velocity measurements support the planetary nature of the companions. Five candidates have orbital periods below 1.0 day, constituting a new class of ultra-short-period planets (USPPs), which occur only around stars of less than 0.88 M_sun. This indicates that those orbiting very close to more luminous stars might be evaporatively destroyed, or that jovian planets around lower-mass stars might migrate to smaller radii.

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