| 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. |
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| 3. |
- Geisler, D., et al.
(författare)
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CAPOS : The bulge Cluster APOgee Survey I. Overview and initial ASPCAP results
- 2021
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 652
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Bulge globular clusters (BGCs) are exceptional tracers of the formation and chemodynamical evolution of this oldest Galactic component. However, until now, observational difficulties have prevented us from taking full advantage of these powerful Galactic archeological tools. Aims. CAPOS, the bulge Cluster APOgee Survey, addresses this key topic by observing a large number of BGCs, most of which have only been poorly studied previously. Even their most basic parameters, such as metallicity, [alpha/Fe], and radial velocity, are generally very uncertain. We aim to obtain accurate mean values for these parameters, as well as abundances for a number of other elements, and explore multiple populations. In this first paper, we describe the CAPOS project and present initial results for seven BGCs. Methods. CAPOS uses the APOGEE-2S spectrograph observing in the H band to penetrate obscuring dust toward the bulge. For this initial paper, we use abundances derived from ASPCAP, the APOGEE pipeline. Results. We derive mean [Fe/H] values of -0.85 +/- 0.04 (Terzan 2), -1.40 +/- 0.05 (Terzan 4), -1.20 +/- 0.10 (HP 1), -1.40 +/- 0.07 (Terzan 9), -1.07 +/- 0.09 (Djorg 2), -1.06 +/- 0.06 (NGC 6540), and -1.11 +/- 0.04 (NGC 6642) from three to ten stars per cluster. We determine mean abundances for eleven other elements plus the mean [alpha/Fe] and radial velocity. CAPOS clusters significantly increase the sample of well-studied Main Bulge globular clusters (GCs) and also extend them to lower metallicity. We reinforce the finding that Main Bulge and Main Disk GCs, formed in situ, have [Si/Fe] abundances slightly higher than their accreted counterparts at the same metallicity. We investigate multiple populations and find our clusters generally follow the light-element (anti)correlation trends of previous studies of GCs of similar metallicity. We finally explore the abundances of the iron-peak elements Mn and Ni and compare their trends with field populations. Conclusions. CAPOS is proving to be an unprecedented resource for greatly improving our knowledge of the formation and evolution of BGCs and the bulge itself.
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| 4. |
- Martin, N. F., et al.
(författare)
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A stellar stream remnant of a globular cluster below the metallicity floor
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 601:7891, s. 45-48
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stellar ejecta gradually enrich the gas out of which subsequent stars form, making the least chemically enriched stellar systems direct fossils of structures formed in the early Universe1. Although a few hundred stars with metal content below 1,000th of the solar iron content are known in the Galaxy2–4, none of them inhabit globular clusters, some of the oldest known stellar structures. These show metal content of at least approximately 0.2% of the solar metallicity ([Fe / H] ≳ − 2.7). This metallicity floor appears universal5,6, and it has been proposed that protogalaxies that merged into the galaxies we observe today were simply not massive enough to form clusters that survived to the present day7. Here we report observations of a stellar stream, C-19, whose metallicity is less than 0.05% of the solar metallicity ([Fe/H]=−3.38±0.06(statistical)±0.20(systematic)). The low metallicity dispersion and the chemical abundances of the C-19 stars show that this stream is the tidal remnant of the most metal-poor globular cluster ever discovered, and is significantly below the purported metallicity floor: clusters with significantly lower metallicities than observed today existed in the past and contributed their stars to the Milky Way halo.
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| 5. |
- Arentsen, A., et al.
(författare)
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The Pristine Inner Galaxy Survey (PIGS) I : tracing the kinematics of metal-poor stars in the Galactic bulge
- 2020
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933. ; 491:1, s. L11-L16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Our Galaxy is known to contain a central boxy/peanut-shaped bulge, yet the importance of a classical, pressure-supported component within the central part of the Milky Way is still being debated. It should be most visible at low metallicity, a regime that has not yet been studied in detail. Using metallicity-sensitive narrow-band photometry, the Pristine Inner Galaxy Survey (PIGS) has collected a large sample of metal-poor ([Fe/H] < -1.0) stars in the inner Galaxy to address this open question. We use PIGS to trace the metal-poor inner Galaxy kinematics as function of metallicity for the first time. We find that the rotational signal decreases with decreasing [Fe/H], until it becomes negligible for the most metal-poor stars. Additionally, the velocity dispersion increases with decreasing metallicity for -3.0 < [Fe/II] < -0.5, with a gradient of -44 +/- 41un s(-1)dex(-1). These observations may signal a transition between Galactic components of different metallicities and kinematics, a different mapping on to the boxy/peanut-shaped bulge for former disc stars of different metallicities and/or the secular dynamical and gravitational influence of the bar on the pressure-supported component. Our results provide strong constraints on models that attempt to explain the properties of the inner Galaxy.
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| 6. |
- Sestito, Federico, et al.
(författare)
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The Pristine survey – X. A large population of low-metallicity stars permeates the Galactic disc
- 2020
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933. ; 497:1, s. L7-L12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The orbits of the least chemically enriched stars open a window on the formation of our Galaxy when it was still in its infancy. The common picture is that these low-metallicity stars are distributed as an isotropic, pressure-supported component since these stars were either accreted from the early building blocks of the assembling Milky Way (MW), or were later brought by the accretion of faint dwarf galaxies. Combining the metallicities and radial velocities from the Pristine and LAMOST surveys and Gaia DR2 parallaxes and proper motions for an unprecedented large and unbiased sample of 1027 very metal poor stars at [Fe/H] ≤ −2.5 dex, we show that this picture is incomplete. We find that 31 per cent of the stars that currently reside spatially in the disc (|Z|≤3kpc) do not venture outside of the disc plane throughout their orbit. Moreover, this sample shows strong statistical evidence (at the 5.0σ level) of asymmetry in their kinematics, favouring prograde motion. The discovery of this population implies that a significant fraction of stars with iron abundances [Fe/H] ≤ −2.5 dex merged into, formed within, or formed concurrently with the MW disc and that the history of the disc was quiet enough to allow them to retain their disc-like orbital properties, challenging theoretical and cosmological models.
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| 7. |
- Martin, Nicolas F., et al.
(författare)
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The Pristine survey - XVI. The metallicity of 26 stellar streams around the Milky Way detected with the STREAMFINDER in Gaia EDR3
- 2022
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 516:4, s. 5331-5354
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We use the photometric metallicities provided by the panoramic Pristine survey to study the veracity and derive the metallicities of the numerous stellar streams found by the application of the STREAMFINDER algorithm to the Gaia Early Data Release 3 data. All 26 streams present in Pristine show a clear metallicity distribution function, which provides an independent check of the reality of these structures, supporting the reliability of STREAMFINDER in finding streams and the power of Pristine to measure precise metallicities. We further present six candidate structures with coherent phase-space and metallicity signals that are very likely streams. The majority of studied streams are very metal-poor (14 structures with [Fe/H] < −2.0) and include three systems with [Fe/H] < −2.9 (C-11, C-19, and C-20). These streams could be the closest debris of low-luminosity dwarf galaxies or may have originated from globular clusters of significantly lower metallicity than any known current Milky Way globular cluster. Our study shows that the promise of the Gaia data for Galactic Archeology studies can be substantially strengthened by quality photometric metallicities, allowing us to peer back into the earliest epochs of the formation of our Galaxy and its stellar halo constituents.
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| 8. |
- Kielty, Collin L., et al.
(författare)
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The Pristine survey - XII. Gemini-GRACES chemo-dynamical study of newly discovered extremely metal-poor stars in the Galaxy
- 2021
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 506:1, s. 1438-1461
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High-resolution optical spectra of 30 metal-poor stars selected from the Pristine survey are presented, based on observations taken with the Gemini Observatory GRACES spectrograph. Stellar parameters Teff and log g are determined using a Gaia DR2 colour–temperature calibration and surface gravity from the Stefan–Boltzmann equation. GRACES spectra are used to determine chemical abundances (or upper limits) for 20 elements (Li, O, Na, Mg, K, Ca, Ti, Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Ba, La, Nd, Eu). These stars are confirmed to be metal-poor ([Fe/H] < −2.5), with higher precision than from earlier medium-resolution analyses. The chemistry for most targets is similar to other extremely metal-poor stars in the Galactic halo. Three stars near [Fe/H] = −3.0 have unusually low Ca and high Mg, suggestive of contributions from few SN II where alpha-element formation through hydrostatic nucleosynthesis was more efficient. Three new carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars are also identified (two CEMP-s and one potential CEMP-no star) when our chemical abundances are combined with carbon from previous medium-resolution analyses. The GRACES spectra also provide precision radial velocities (σRV ≤ 0.2 km s−1) for dynamical orbit calculations with the Gaia DR2 proper motions. Most of our targets are dynamically associated with the Galactic halo; however, five stars with [Fe/H] < −3 have planar-like orbits, including one retrograde star. Another five stars are dynamically consistent with the Gaia-Sequoia accretion event; three have typical halo [α/Fe] ratios for their metallicities, whereas two are [Mg/Fe]-deficient, and one is a new CEMP-s candidate. These results are discussed in terms of the formation and early chemical evolution of the Galaxy.
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| 9. |
- Lucchesi, R., et al.
(författare)
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The Pristine survey – XV. A CFHT ESPaDOnS view on the Milky Way halo and disc populations
- 2022
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 511:1, s. 1004-1021
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a one-dimensional, local thermodynamic equilibrium homogeneous analysis of 132 stars observed at high resolutionwith ESPaDOnS. This represents the largest sample observed at high resolution (R ∼ 40 000) from the Pristine survey. Thissample is based on the first version of the Pristine catalogue and covers the full range of metallicities from [Fe/H] ∼−3 to∼+0.25, with nearly half of our sample (58 stars) composed of very metal-poor (VMP) stars ([Fe/H] ≤ −2). This wide rangeof metallicities provides the opportunity of a new detailed study of the Milky Way stellar population. Because it includes bothdwarf and giant stars, it also enables the analysis of any potential bias induced by the Pristine selection process. Based on GaiaEDR3, the orbital analysis of this Pristine-ESPaDOnS sample shows that it is composed of 65 halo stars and 67 disc stars. Aftera general assessment of the sample chemical properties with the α-elements Mg and Ca, we focus on the abundance of carbonand the neutron capture elements Ba and Sr. While most of our VMP subsample is carbon normal, we also find that 14 starsout of the 38 stars with [Fe/H] ≤ −2 and measured carbon abundances turn out to be carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP)stars. We show that these CEMP stars are nearly exclusively (i.e. 12 stars out of 14) in the regime of low luminosity, unevolved,dwarf stars, which we interpret as the consequence of bias of the Pristine filter against C-rich giants. Among the VMP stars,we identify two CEMP stars with no enhancement in neutron-capture process elements and another one enriched in s-processelement. Finally, one VMP star is found with a very low [Sr/Fe] abundance ratio for its metallicity, as expected if it had beenaccreted from an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy.
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| 10. |
- Malhan, Khyati, et al.
(författare)
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Evidence of a Dwarf Galaxy Stream Populating the Inner Milky Way Halo
- 2021
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 920:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stellar streams produced from dwarf galaxies provide direct evidence of the hierarchical formation of the Milky Way. Here, we present the first comprehensive study of the LMS-1 stellar stream, that we detect by searching for wide streams in the Gaia EDR3 data set using the STREAMFINDER algorithm. This stream was recently discovered by Yuan et al. We detect LMS-1 as a 60° long stream to the north of the galactic bulge, at a distance of ∼20 kpc from the Sun, together with additional components that suggest that the overall stream is completely wrapped around the inner Galaxy. Using spectroscopic measurements from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment, we infer that the stream is very metal-poor (〈[Fe/H]〉 = −2.1) with a significant metallicity dispersion (σ[Fe/H] = 0.4), and it possesses a large radial velocity dispersion (σv = 20 ± 4 km s−1). These estimates together imply that LMS-1 is a dwarf galaxy stream. The orbit of LMS-1 is close to polar, with an inclination of 75° to the galactic plane. Both the orbit and metallicity of LMS-1 are remarkably similar to the globular clusters NGC 5053, NGC 5024, and the stellar stream Indus. These findings make LMS-1 an important contributor to the stellar population of the inner Milky Way halo.
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