| 1. |
- de Jong, R. S., et al.
(författare)
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4MOST : Project overview and information for the First Call for Proposals
- 2019
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Ingår i: The Messenger. - : European Southern Observatory. - 0722-6691. ; 175, s. 3-11
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- We introduce the 4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST), a new high-multiplex, wide-field spectroscopic survey facility under development for the four-metre-class Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) at Paranal. Its key specifications are: a large field of view (FoV) of 4.2 square degrees and a high multiplex capability, with 1624 fibres feeding two low-resolution spectrographs (R = λ/Δλ ~ 6500), and 812 fibres transferring light to the high-resolution spectrograph (R ~ 20 000). After a description of the instrument and its expected performance, a short overview is given of its operational scheme and planned 4MOST Consortium science; these aspects are covered in more detail in other articles in this edition of The Messenger. Finally, the processes, schedules, and policies concerning the selection of ESO Community Surveys are presented, commencing with a singular opportunity to submit Letters of Intent for Public Surveys during the first five years of 4MOST operations.
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| 2. |
- Gilmore, G., et al.
(författare)
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The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey : Motivation, implementation, GIRAFFE data processing, analysis, and final data products star
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 666
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey is an ambitious project designed to obtain astrophysical parameters and elemental abundances for 100 000 stars, including large representative samples of the stellar populations in the Galaxy, and a well-defined sample of 60 (plus 20 archive) open clusters. We provide internally consistent results calibrated on benchmark stars and star clusters, extending across a very wide range of abundances and ages. This provides a legacy data set of intrinsic value, and equally a large wide-ranging dataset that is of value for the homogenisation of other and future stellar surveys and Gaia's astrophysical parameters. Aims. This article provides an overview of the survey methodology, the scientific aims, and the implementation, including a description of the data processing for the GIRAFFE spectra. A companion paper introduces the survey results. Methods. Gaia-ESO aspires to quantify both random and systematic contributions to measurement uncertainties. Thus, all available spectroscopic analysis techniques are utilised, each spectrum being analysed by up to several different analysis pipelines, with considerable effort being made to homogenise and calibrate the resulting parameters. We describe here the sequence of activities up to delivery of processed data products to the ESO Science Archive Facility for open use. Results. The Gaia-ESO Survey obtained 202 000 spectra of 115 000 stars using 340 allocated VLT nights between December 2011 and January 2018 from GIRAFFE and UVES. Conclusions. The full consistently reduced final data set of spectra was released through the ESO Science Archive Facility in late 2020, with the full astrophysical parameters sets following in 2022. A companion article reviews the survey implementation, scientific highlights, the open cluster survey, and data products.
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| 3. |
- Randich, S., et al.
(författare)
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The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey : Implementation, data products, open cluster survey, science, and legacy
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP SCIENCES S A. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 666
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. In the last 15 years different ground-based spectroscopic surveys have been started (and completed) with the general aim of delivering stellar parameters and elemental abundances for large samples of Galactic stars, complementing Gaia astrometry. Among those surveys, the Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey, the only one performed on a 8m class telescope, was designed to target 100 000 stars using FLAMES on the ESO VLT (both Giraffe and UVES spectrographs), covering all the Milky Way populations, with a special focus on open star clusters. Aims. This article provides an overview of the survey implementation (observations, data quality, analysis and its success, data products, and releases), of the open cluster survey, of the science results and potential, and of the survey legacy. A companion article reviews the overall survey motivation, strategy, Giraffe pipeline data reduction, organisation, and workflow. Methods. We made use of the information recorded and archived in the observing blocks; during the observing runs; in a number of relevant documents; in the spectra and master catalogue of spectra; in the parameters delivered by the analysis nodes and the working groups; in the final catalogue; and in the science papers. Based on these sources, we critically analyse and discuss the output and products of the Survey, including science highlights. We also determined the average metallicities of the open clusters observed as science targets and of a sample of clusters whose spectra were retrieved from the ESO archive. Results. The Gaia-ESO Survey has determined homogeneous good-quality radial velocities and stellar parameters for a large fraction of its more than 110 000 unique target stars. Elemental abundances were derived for up to 31 elements for targets observed with UVES. Lithium abundances are delivered for about 1/3 of the sample. The analysis and homogenisation strategies have proven to be successful; several science topics have been addressed by the Gaia-ESO consortium and the community, with many highlight results achieved. Conclusions. The final catalogue will be released through the ESO archive in the first half of 2022, including the complete set of advanced data products. In addition to these results, the Gaia-ESO Survey will leave a very important legacy, for several aspects and for many years to come.
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| 4. |
- Howes, L. M., et al.
(författare)
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Extremely metal-poor stars from the cosmic dawn in the bulge of the Milky Way
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 527:7579, s. 484-487
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The first stars are predicted to have formed within 200 million years after the Big Bang(1), initiating the cosmic dawn. A true first star has not yet been discovered, although stars(2-4) with tiny amounts of elements heavier than helium ('metals') have been found in the outer regions ('halo') of the Milky Way. The first stars and their immediate successors should, however, preferentially be found today in the central regions ('bulges') of galaxies, because they formed in the largest over-densities that grew gravitationally with time(5,6). The Milky Way bulge underwent a rapid chemical enrichment during the first 1-2 billion years(7), leading to a dearth of early, metal-poor stars(8,9). Here we report observations of extremely metal-poor stars in the Milky Way bulge, including one star with an iron abundance about 10,000 times lower than the solar value without noticeable carbon enhancement. We confirm that most of the metal-poor bulge stars are on tight orbits around the Galactic Centre, rather than being halo stars passing through the bulge, as expected for stars formed at redshifts greater than 15. Their chemical compositions are in general similar to typical halo stars of the same metallicity although intriguing differences exist, including lower abundances of carbon.
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| 5. |
- Howes, Louise, et al.
(författare)
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The Gaia-ESO Survey: the most metal-poor stars in the Galactic bulge
- 2014
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Ingår i: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1365-2966 .- 0035-8711. ; 445:4, s. 4241-4246
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the first results of the EMBLA survey (Extremely Metal-poor BuLge stars with AAOmega), aimed at finding metal-poor stars in the Milky Way bulge, where the oldest stars should now preferentially reside. EMBLA utilizes SkyMapper photometry to pre-select metal-poor candidates, which are subsequently confirmed using AAOmega spectroscopy. We describe the discovery and analysis of four bulge giants with -2.72 <= [Fe/H] <= -2.48, the lowest metallicity bulge stars studied with high-resolution spectroscopy to date. Using FLAMES/UVES spectra through the Gaia-ESO Survey we have derived abundances of twelve elements. Given the uncertainties, we find a chemical similarity between these bulge stars and halo stars of the same metallicity, although the abundance scatter may be larger, with some of the stars showing unusual [alpha/Fe] ratios.
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| 6. |
- Buder, S., et al.
(författare)
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The GALAH survey : An abundance, age, and kinematic inventory of the solar neighbourhood made with TGAS
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP SCIENCES S A. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 624
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The overlap between the spectroscopic Galactic Archaeology with HERMES (GALAH) survey and Gaia provides a high-dimensional chemodynamical space of unprecedented size. We present a first analysis of a subset of this overlap, of 7066 dwarf, turn-off, and subgiant stars. These stars have spectra from the GALAH survey and high parallax precision from the Gaia DR1 Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution. We investigate correlations between chemical compositions, ages, and kinematics for this sample. Stellar parameters and elemental abundances are derived from the GALAH spectra with the spectral synthesis code SPECTROSCOPY MADE EASY. We determine kinematics and dynamics, including action angles, from the Gaia astrometry and GALAH radial velocities. Stellar masses and ages are determined with Bayesian isochrone matching, using our derived stellar parameters and absolute magnitudes. We report measurements of Li, C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, as well as Ba and we note that we have employed non-LTE calculations for Li, O, Al, and Fe. We show that the use of astrometric and photometric data improves the accuracy of the derived spectroscopic parameters, especially log g. Focusing our investigation on the correlations between stellar age, iron abundance [Fe/H], and mean alpha-enhancement [alpha/Fe] of the magnitude-selected sample, we recover the result that stars of the high-a sequence are typically older than stars in the low-a sequence, the latter spanning iron abundances of -0.7 < [Fe/H] < +0.5. While these two sequences become indistinguishable in [alpha/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] at the metal-rich regime, we find that age can be used to separate stars from the extended high-a and the low-a sequence even in this regime. When dissecting the sample by stellar age, we find that the old stars (>8 Gyr) have lower angular momenta L-z than the Sun, which implies that they are on eccentric orbits and originate from the inner disc. Contrary to some previous smaller scale studies we find a continuous evolution in the high-alpha-sequence up to super-solar [Fe/H] rather than a gap, which has been interpreted as a separate "high-alpha metal-rich" population. Stars in our sample that are younger than 10 Gyr, are mainly found on the low alpha-sequence and show a gradient in L-z from low [Fe/H] > (L-z > L-z,L-circle dot) towards higher [Fe/H] (L-z < L-z,L-circle dot), which implies that the stars at the ends of this sequence are likely not originating from the close solar vicinity.
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| 7. |
- Jackson, R. J., et al.
(författare)
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The Gaia-ESO Survey: Empirical determination of the precision of stellar radial velocities and projected rotation velocities
- 2015
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Ingår i: Astronomy & Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 580
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. The Gaia-ESO Survey (GES) is a large public spectroscopic survey at the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. Aims. A key aim is to provide precise radial velocities (RVs) and projected equatorial velocities (v sin i) for representative samples of Galactic stars, which will complement information obtained by the Gaia astrometry satellite. Methods. We present an analysis to empirically quantify the size and distribution of uncertainties in RV and v sin i using spectra from repeated exposures of the same stars. Results. We show that the uncertainties vary as simple scaling functions of signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) and v sin i, that the uncertainties become larger with increasing photospheric temperature, but that the dependence on stellar gravity, metallicity and age is weak. The underlying uncertainty distributions have extended tails that are better represented by Student's t-distributions than by normal distributions. Conclusions. Parametrised results are provided, which enable estimates of the RV precision for almost all GES measurements, and estimates of the v sin i precision for stars in young clusters, as a function of S/N, v sin i and stellar temperature. The precision of individual high S/N GES RV measurements is 0.22-0.26 km s(-1), dependent on instrumental configuration.
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| 8. |
- Lind, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Non-LTE line formation of Fe in late-type stars - IV. Modelling of the solar centre-to-limb variation in 3D
- 2017
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 468:4, s. 4311-4322
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Our ability to model the shapes and strengths of iron lines in the solar spectrum is a critical test of the accuracy of the solar iron abundance, which sets the absolute zero-point of all stellar metallicities. We use an extensive 463-level Fe atom with new photoionization cross-sections for Fe I and quantum mechanical calculations of collisional excitation and charge transfer with neutral hydrogen; the latter effectively remove a free parameter that has hampered all previous line formation studies of Fe in non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE). For the first time, we use realistic 3D NLTE calculations of Fe for a quantitative comparison to solar observations. We confront our theoretical line profiles with observations taken at different viewing angles across the solar disc with the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope. We find that 3D modelling well reproduces the observed centre-to-limb behaviour of spectral lines overall, but highlight aspects that may require further work, especially cross-sections for inelastic collisions with electrons. Our inferred solar iron abundance is log(epsilon(Fe)) = 7.48 +/- 0.04 dex.
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| 9. |
- Spina, L., et al.
(författare)
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The GALAH survey : tracing the Galactic disc with open clusters
- 2021
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 503:3, s. 3279-3296
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Open clusters are unique tracers of the history of our own Galaxy's disc. According to our membership analysis based on Gala astrometry, out of the 226 potential clusters falling in the footprint of the GALactic Archaeology with HERMES (GALAH) survey or the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) survey, we find that 205 have secure members that were observed by at least one of the surveys. Furthermore, members of 134 clusters have high-quality spectroscopic data that we use to determine their chemical composition. We leverage this information to study the chemical distribution throughout the Galactic disc of 21 elements, from C to Eu. The radial metallicity gradient obtained from our analysis is -0.076 +/- 0.009 dex kpc(-1), which is in agreement with previous works based on smaller samples. Furthermore, the gradient in the (Fe/Hi-guiding radius (r(guid)) plane is -0.073 +/- 0.008 dex kpc(-1). We show consistently that open clusters trace the distribution of chemical elements throughout the Galactic disc differently than field stars. In particular, at the given radius, open clusters show an age-metallicity relation that has less scatter than field stars. As such scatter is often interpreted as an effect of radial migration, we suggest that these differences are due to the physical selection effect imposed by our Galaxy: clusters that would have migrated significantly also had higher chances to get destroyed. Finally, our results reveal trends in the [X/Fe]-r(guid)-age space, which are important to understand production rates of different elements as a function of space and time.
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| 10. |
- Duong, L., et al.
(författare)
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The GALAH survey : properties of the Galactic disc(s) in the solar neighbourhood
- 2018
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 476:4, s. 5216-5232
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using data from the GALAH pilot survey, we determine properties of the Galactic thin and thick discs near the solar neighbourhood. The data cover a small range of Galactocentric radius (7.9 less than or similar to R-GC less than or similar to 9.5 kpc), but extend up to 4 kpc in height from the Galactic plane, and several kpc in the direction of Galactic anti-rotation (at longitude 260 degrees <= l <= 280 degrees). This allows us to reliably measure the vertical density and abundance profiles of the chemically and kinematically defined 'thick' and 'thin' discs of the Galaxy. The thin disc (low-alpha population) exhibits a steep negative vertical metallicity gradient, at d[M/H]/dz = -0.18 +/- 0.01 dex kpc(-1), which is broadly consistent with previous studies. In contrast, its vertical alpha-abundance profile is almost flat, with a gradient of d[alpha/M]/dz = 0.008 +/- 0.002 dex kpc(-1). The steep vertical metallicity gradient of the low-a population is in agreement with models where radial migration has a major role in the evolution of the thin disc. The thick disc (high-alpha population) has a weaker vertical metallicity gradient d[M/H]/dz = -0.058 +/- 0.003 dex kpc(-1). The aabundance of the thick disc is nearly constant with height, d[alpha/M]/dz = 0.007 +/- 0.002 dex kpc(-1). The negative gradient in metallicity and the small gradient in [alpha/M] indicate that the high-alpha population experienced a settling phase, but also formed prior to the onset of major Type I alpha supernova enrichment. We explore the implications of the distinct alpha-enrichments and narrow [alpha/M] range of the sub-populations in the context of thick disc formation.
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