Publication

The extended stellar halo' of the Ursa Minor dwarf galaxy

Pascale Jablonka
2023
Journal paper
Abstract

Stellar candidates in the Ursa Minor (UMi) dwarf galaxy have been found using a new Bayesian algorithm applied to Gaia EDR3 data. Five of these targets are located in the extreme outskirts of UMi, from similar to 5 to 12 elliptical half-light radii (r h), where r h (UMi) = 17.32 +/- 0.11 arcmin, and have been observed with the high-resolution Gemini Remote Access to CFHT ESPaDOnS Spectrograph at the Gemini North telescope. Precise radial velocities (sRV < 2 km s-1) and metallicities (s[ Fe/H] < 0.2 dex) confirm their memberships of UMi. Detailed analysis of the brightest and outermost star (Target 1, at similar to 12r h), yields precision chemical abundances for the a(Mg, Ca, and Ti), odd-Z (Na, K, and Sc), Fe-peak (Fe, Ni, and Cr), and neutron-capture (Ba) elements. With data from the literature and APOGEE data release 17, we find the chemical patterns in UMi are consistent with an outside-in star-formation history that includes yields from core-collapse supernovae, asymptotic giant branch stars, and Type Ia supernovae. Evidence for a knee in the [a/Fe] ratios near [Fe/H] similar to-2.1 indicates a low star-formation efficiency similar to that in other dwarf galaxies. Detailed analysis of the surface number density profile shows evidence that UMi's outskirts have been populated by tidal effects, likely as a result of completing multiple orbits around the Galaxy.

About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.
Ontological neighbourhood
Related concepts (40)
Dwarf galaxy
A dwarf galaxy is a small galaxy composed of about 1000 up to several billion stars, as compared to the Milky Way's 200–400 billion stars. The Large Magellanic Cloud, which closely orbits the Milky Way and contains over 30 billion stars, is sometimes classified as a dwarf galaxy; others consider it a full-fledged galaxy. Dwarf galaxies' formation and activity are thought to be heavily influenced by interactions with larger galaxies. Astronomers identify numerous types of dwarf galaxies, based on their shape and composition.
Dwarf spheroidal galaxy
A dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph) is a term in astronomy applied to small, low-luminosity galaxies with very little dust and an older stellar population. They are found in the Local Group as companions to the Milky Way and to systems that are companions to the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). While similar to dwarf elliptical galaxies in appearance and properties such as little to no gas or dust or recent star formation, they are approximately spheroidal in shape and generally have lower luminosity.
Stellar kinematics
In astronomy, stellar kinematics is the observational study or measurement of the kinematics or motions of stars through space. Stellar kinematics encompasses the measurement of stellar velocities in the Milky Way and its satellites as well as the internal kinematics of more distant galaxies. Measurement of the kinematics of stars in different subcomponents of the Milky Way including the thin disk, the thick disk, the bulge, and the stellar halo provides important information about the formation and evolutionary history of our Galaxy.
Show more
Related publications (88)

Stellar Metallicities and Gradients in the Isolated, Quenched Low-mass Galaxy Tucana

Nicolas Lawrence Etienne Longeard

We measure the metallicities of 374 red giant branch (RGB) stars in the isolated, quenched dwarf galaxy Tucana using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) narrow-band (F395N) Calcium H & K (CaHK) imaging. Our sample is a factor of similar to 7 similar to 7 larger t ...
Iop Publishing Ltd2024

GHOST commissioning science results - II: a very metal-poor star witnessing the early galactic assembly

Pascale Jablonka

This study focuses on Pristine_180956.78-294759.8 (hereafter P180956, [Fe/H] = -1.95 +/- 0.02), a star selected from the Pristine Inner Galaxy Survey (PIGS), and followed-up with the recently commissioned Gemini High-resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST) ...
Oxford2024

How much metal did the first stars provide to the ultra-faint dwarfs?

Pascale Jablonka, Yves Revaz, Mahsa Sanati

Numerical simulations of dwarf galaxies have so far failed to reproduce the observed metallicity-luminosity relation, down to the regime of ultra-faint dwarfs (UFDs). We address this issue by exploring how the first generations of metal-free stars (Pop III ...
EDP SCIENCES S A2023
Show more
Related MOOCs (4)
The Radio Sky I: Science and Observations
Be captivated by the exotic objects that populate the Radio Sky and gain a solid understanding of their physics and the fundamental techniques we use to observe them.
Introduction to Astrophysics
Ce cours décrit les principaux concepts physiques utilisés en astrophysique. Il est proposé à l'EPFL aux étudiants de 2eme année de Bachelor en physique.
Introduction à l'Astrophysique
Ce cours décrit les principaux concepts physiques utilisés en astrophysique. Il est proposé à l'EPFL aux étudiants de 2eme année de Bachelor en physique.
Show more

Graph Chatbot

Chat with Graph Search

Ask any question about EPFL courses, lectures, exercises, research, news, etc. or try the example questions below.

DISCLAIMER: The Graph Chatbot is not programmed to provide explicit or categorical answers to your questions. Rather, it transforms your questions into API requests that are distributed across the various IT services officially administered by EPFL. Its purpose is solely to collect and recommend relevant references to content that you can explore to help you answer your questions.