The second Gaia data release, DR2, contained radial velocities of stars with effective temperatures up to Teff = 6900 K. The third data release, Gaia DR3, extends this up to Teff = 14,500 K. We ...derive the radial velocities for hot stars (i.e. in the Teff = 6900 - 14,500 K range) from data obtained with the Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS) on board Gaia. The radial velocities were determined by the standard technique of measuring the Doppler shift of a template spectrum that was compared to the observed spectrum. The RVS wavelength range is very limited. The proximity to and systematic blueward offset of the calcium infrared triplet to the hydrogen Paschen lines in hot stars can result in a systematic offset in radial velocity. For the hot stars, we developed a specific code to improve the selection of the template spectrum, thereby avoiding this systematic offset. With the improved code, and with the correction we propose to the DR3 archive radial velocities, we obtain values that agree with reference values to within 3 km/s (in median). Because of the required S/N for applying the improved code, the hot star radial velocities in DR3 are mostly limited to stars with a magnitude in the RVS wavelength band <= 12 mag.
The nuclear stellar disc (NSD) is, together with the nuclear star cluster (NSC) and the central massive black hole, one of the main components in the central parts of our Milky Way. However, until ...recently, only few studies of the stellar content of the NSD have been obtained due to extreme extinction and stellar crowding. With a dedicated KMOS (VLT, ESO) spectroscopic survey, we study the kinematics and global metallicities of the NSD based on the observations of K/M giant stars. We trace radial velocities and metallicities which were derived based on spectral indices (Na I and CO) along the NSD and compare those with a Galactic Bulge sample of APOGEE (DR16) and data from the NSC. We find that the metallicity distribution function and the fraction of metal-rich and metal-poor stars in the NSD are different from the corresponding distributions and ratios of the NSC and the Galactic Bulge. By tracing the velocity dispersion as a function of metallicity, we clearly see that the NSD is kinematically cool and that the velocity dispersion decreases with increasing metallicity contrary to the inner Bulge sample of APOGEE (\(\rm |b| < 4^{o}\)). Using molecular gas tracers (\(\rm H_{2}CO\), CO(4-3)) of the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) we find an astonishing agreement between the gas rotation and the rotation of the metal-rich population indicating that the metal-rich stars could have formed from gas in the CMZ. On the other hand, the metal-poor stars show a much slower rotation profile with signs of counter-rotation indicating a different origin of these stars. Coupling kinematics with global metallicities, our results demonstrate that the NSD is chemically and kinematically distinct with respect to the inner Bulge indicating a different formation scenario.
ABSTRACT
The Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal (Sgr dSph) galaxy is currently being accreted and disrupted by the tidal field of the Milky Way. Recent observations have shown that the central region of ...the dwarf hosts at least three different stellar populations, ranging from old and metal-poor over intermediate metal-rich to young metal-rich. While the intermediate-age metal-rich population has been identified as part of the galaxy, the oldest and youngest populations belong to M54, the nuclear star cluster (NSC) of the Sgr dSph galaxy. The old metal-poor component of M54 has been interpreted as at least one decayed globular cluster (GC) that was initially orbiting its host galaxy. The youngest population formed in situ from gas accreted into M54 after its arrival at the centre of the host. In this work, we use the observed properties of M54 to explore the shape of the inner density profile of the Sgr dSph galaxy. To do so, we simulate the decay of M54 towards the centre of the dark matter (DM) halo of its host. We model the DM density profile using different central slopes, and we compare the results of the simulations to the most recent observations of the structural properties of M54. From this comparison, we conclude that a GC that decays in a DM halo with a density profile ∝ r−γ and γ ≤ 1 shows a rotational signal and flattening comparable to those observed for M54. Steeper profiles produce, instead, highly rotating and more flattened NSCs which do not match the properties of M54.
We present a detailed study of the composition of 20 M giants in the Galactic center with 15 of them confirmed to be in the Nuclear Star Cluster. As a control sample we have also observed 7 M giants ...in the Milky Way Disk with similar stellar parameters. All 27 stars are observed using the NIRSPEC spectograph on the KECK II telescope in the K-band at a resolving power of R=23,000. We report the first silicon abundance trends versus Fe/H for stars in the Galactic center. While finding a disk/bulge like trend at subsolar metallicities, we find that Si/Fe is enhanced at supersolar metallicities. We speculate on possible enrichment scenarios to explain such a trend. However, the sample size is modest and the result needs to be confirmed by additional measurements of silicon and other \textalpha-elements. We also derive a new distribution of Fe/H and find the most metal rich stars at Fe/H=+0.5 dex, confirming our earlier conclusions that the Galactic center hosts no stars with extreme chemical composition.
The Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal (Sgr dSph) galaxy is currently being accreted and disrupted by the tidal field of the Milky Way. Recent observations have shown that the central region of the dwarf ...hosts at least three different stellar populations, ranging from old and metal-poor over intermediate metal-rich to young metal-rich. While the intermediate-age metal-rich population has been identified as part of the galaxy, the oldest and youngest populations belong to M54, the nuclear star cluster (NSC) of the Sgr dSph galaxy. The old metal-poor component of M54 has been interpreted as at least one decayed GC which was initially orbiting its host galaxy. The youngest population formed in situ from gas accreted into M54 after its arrival at the centre of the host. In this work, we use the observed properties of M54 to explore the shape of the inner density profile of the Sgr dSph galaxy. To do so, we simulate the decay of M54 towards the centre of the dark matter (DM) halo of its host. We model the DM density profile using different central slopes, and we compare the results of the simulations to the most recent observations of the structural properties of M54. From this comparison, we conclude that a GC that decays in a DM halo with a density profile $\propto r^{-\gamma}$ and $\gamma \leq 1$ shows a rotational signal and flattening comparable to those observed for M54. Steeper profiles produce, instead, highly rotating and more flattened NSCs which do not match the properties of M54.
The internal dynamics of multiple stellar populations in Globular Clusters (GCs) provides unique constraints on the physical processes responsible for their formation. Specifically, the present-day ...kinematics of cluster stars, such as rotation and velocity-dispersion, could be related to the initial configuration of the system. In recent work, we provided the first study of the kinematics of different stellar populations in NGC\(\,\)0104 over a large field of view in the plane of the sky, exploiting Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) proper motions combined with multi-band ground-based photometry. In this paper, we combine Gaia DR2 proper motions with Very Large Telescope radial velocities to investigate the kinematics along the line of sight and in the plane of the sky of multiple populations in seven GCs, namely NGC\(\,\)0104, NGC\(\,\)0288, NGC\(\,\)5904, NGC\(\,\)6121, NGC\(\,\)6254, NGC\(\,\)6752 and NGC\(\,\)6838. Among the analyzed clusters only NGC\(\,\)0104 and NGC\(\,\)5904 show significant rotation. Separating our sample into two groups of first- and second-population stars (1P and 2P) we find that overall these two populations exhibit a similar rotation pattern in NGC\(\,\)0104. However, some hints of different rotation are observed in the external regions of this cluster. Interestingly, 1P and 2P stars in NGC\(\,\)5904 show different rotation curves, with distinct phases and such difference is significant at the \(\sim\)2.5-\(\sigma\) level. The analysis of the velocity-dispersion profiles of multiple populations confirms that 2P stars of NGC\(\,\)0104 show stronger anisotropy than the 1P.
Gaia's Early Third Data Release (EDR3) does not contain new radial velocities because these will be published in Gaia's full third data release (DR3), expected in the first half of 2022. To maximise ...the usefulness of EDR3, Gaia's second data release (DR2) sources (with radial velocities) are matched to EDR3 sources to allow their DR2 radial velocities to also be included in EDR3. This presents two considerations: (i) arXiv:1901.10460 (hereafter B19) published a list of 70,365 sources with potentially contaminated DR2 radial velocities; and (ii) EDR3 is based on a new astrometric solution and a new source list, which means sources in DR2 may not be in EDR3. EDR3 contains 7,209,831 sources with a DR2 radial velocity, which is 99.8% of sources with a radial velocity in DR2. 14,800 radial velocities from DR2 are not propagated to any EDR3 sources because (i) 3871 from the B19 list are found to either not have an unpublished, preliminary DR3 radial velocity or it differs significantly from its DR2 value, and 5 high-velocity stars not in the B19 list are confirmed to have contaminated radial velocities; and (ii) 10,924 DR2 sources could not be satisfactorily matched to any EDR3 sources, so their DR2 radial velocities are also missing from EDR3. The reliability of radial velocities in EDR3 has improved compared to DR2 because the update removes a small fraction of erroneous radial velocities (0.05% of DR2 radial velocities and 5.5% of the B19 list). Lessons learnt from EDR3 (e.g. bright star contamination) will improve the radial velocities in future Gaia data releases. The main reason for radial velocities from DR2 not propagating to EDR3 is not related to DR2 radial velocity quality. It is because the DR2 astrometry is based on one component of close binary pairs, while EDR3 astrometry is based on the other component, which prevents these sources from being unambiguously matched. (Abridged)
The origin of the Nuclear Star Cluster in the centre of our Galaxy is still unknown. One possibility is that it formed after the disruption of stellar clusters that spiralled into the Galactic Centre ...due to dynamical friction. We trace the formation of the Nuclear Star Cluster around the central black hole, using state-of-the-art N-body simulations, and follow the dynamics of the neutron stars born in the clusters. We then estimate the number of Millisecond Pulsars (MSPs) that are released in the Nuclear Star Cluster, during its formation. The assembly and tidal dismemberment of globular clusters lead to a population of MSPs distributed over a radius of about 20 pc, with a peak near 3 pc. No clustering is found on the sub-parsec scale. We simulate the detectability of this population with future radio telescopes like the MeerKAT radio telescope and SKA1, and find that about of order ten MSPs can be observed over this large volume, with a paucity of MSPs within the central parsec. This helps discriminating this scenario from the in-situ formation model for the Nuclear Star Cluster that would predict an over abundance of MSPs closer to the black hole. We then discuss the potential contribution of our MSP population to the gamma-ray excess at the Galactic Centre.
The origin of multiple stellar populations in Globular Clusters (GCs) is one of the greatest mysteries of modern stellar astrophysics. N-body simulations suggest that the present-day dynamics of GC ...stars can constrain the events that occurred at high redshift and led to the formation of multiple populations. Here, we combine multi-band photometry from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based facilities with HST and Gaia Data Release 2 proper motions to investigate the spatial distributions and the motions in the plane of the sky of multiple populations in the type II GCs NGC 5139 (\(\omega\,\)Centauri) and NGC 6656 (M 22). We first analyzed stellar populations with different metallicities. Fe-poor and Fe-rich stars in M 22 share similar spatial distributions and rotation patterns and exhibit similar isotropic motions. Similarly, the two main populations with different iron abundance in \(\omega\,\)Centauri share similar ellipticities and rotation patterns. When analyzing different radial regions, we find that the rotation amplitude decreases from the center towards the external regions. Fe-poor and Fe-rich stars of \(\omega\,\)Centauri are radially anisotropic in the central region and show similar degrees of anisotropy. We also investigate the stellar populations with different light-element abundances and find that their N-rich stars exhibit higher ellipticity than N-poor stars. In \(\omega\,\)Centauri Centauri both stellar groups are radially anisotropic. Interestingly, N-rich, Fe-rich stars exhibit different rotation patterns than N-poor stars with similar metallicities. The stellar populations with different nitrogen of M 22 exhibit similar rotation patterns and isotropic motions. We discuss these findings in the context of the formation of multiple populations.
The series of events, which occurred at high redshift and originated multiple stellar populations in Globular Clusters (GCs) are still poorly understood. Theoretical work suggests that the ...present-day dynamics of stars in nearby GCs, including the rotation and velocity dispersion, may retain important clues on the formation of multiple populations. So far, the dynamics of multiple populations have been investigated either from radial velocities of a relatively-small sample of stars, or from relative proper motions of stars in the small field of view provided by the Hubble Space Telescope. In this context, Gaia provides the unique opportunity to investigate the dynamics of thousands GC stars over a wide field of view. For the first time, we combine Gaia DR2 proper motions and multi-band photometry to study the internal motions of the two main stellar populations of 47 Tucanae in a wide field of view. We confirm that this cluster exhibits high rotation on the plane of the sky and find that both stellar generations share similar rotation patters. Second-generation stars show stronger anisotropies and smaller tangential-velocity dispersion than the first generation, while there is no significant difference between their radial-velocity dispersion profiles. We discuss the impact of these results in the context of the formation scenarios for multiple stellar populations in GCs.
