Abstract
We report the discovery of a new ultra-faint stellar system found near the Magellanic Clouds in the DECam Local Volume Exploration Survey. This new system, DELVE J0155−6815 (DELVE 2), is ...located at a heliocentric distance of
D
⊙
= 71 ± 4 kpc, which places it at a 3D physical separation of 12 ± 3 kpc from the center of the Small Magellanic Cloud and
from the center of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). DELVE 2 is identified as a resolved overdensity of old (
τ
> 13.3 Gyr) and metal-poor (
dex) stars with a projected half-light radius of
and an absolute magnitude of
. The size and luminosity of DELVE 2 are consistent with both the population of recently discovered ultra-faint globular clusters and the smallest ultra-faint dwarf galaxies. However, its photometrically derived age and metallicity would place it among the oldest and most metal-poor globular clusters in the Magellanic system. In the absence of spectroscopic measurements of the system’s metallicity dispersion and internal kinematics, we are unable to conclusively classify this system at this time. DELVE 2 is detected in
Gaia
DR2 with a clear proper-motion signal, with multiple blue horizontal-branch stars near the centroid of the system with proper motions consistent with the systemic mean. We measure the system proper motion to be
=
mas yr
−1
. We compare the spatial position and proper motion of DELVE 2 with simulations of the accreted satellite population of the LMC and find that it is very likely to be associated with the LMC.
We present the first detailed elemental abundances in the ultra-faint Magellanic satellite galaxies Carina II (Car II) and Carina III (Car III). With high-resolution Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy, we ...determined the abundances of nine stars in Car II, including the first abundances of an RR Lyrae star in an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy (UFD), and two stars in Car III. The chemical abundances demonstrate that both systems are clearly galaxies and not globular clusters. The stars in these galaxies mostly display abundance trends matching those of other similarly faint dwarf galaxies: enhanced but declining /Fe ratios, iron-peak elements matching the stellar halo, and unusually low neutron-capture element abundances. One star displays a low outlying Sc/Fe = −1.0. We detect a large Ba scatter in Car II, likely due to inhomogeneous enrichment by low-mass asymptotic giant branch star winds. The most striking abundance trend is for Mg/Ca in Car II, which decreases from +0.4 to −0.4 and indicates clear variation in the initial progenitor masses of enriching core-collapse supernovae. So far, the only UFDs displaying a similar Mg/Ca trend are likely satellites of the Large Magellanic Cloud. We find two stars with Fe/H ≤ −3.5 whose abundances likely trace the first generation of metal-free Population III stars and are well fit by Population III core-collapse supernova yields. An appendix describes our new abundance uncertainty analysis that propagates line-by-line stellar parameter uncertainties.
Abstract
We report the discovery of Pegasus IV, an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy found in archival data from the Dark Energy Camera processed by the DECam Local Volume Exploration Survey. Pegasus IV is a ...compact, ultra-faint stellar system (
r
1
/
2
=
41
−
6
+
8
pc;
M
V
= −4.25 ± 0.2 mag) located at a heliocentric distance of
90
−
6
+
4
kpc
. Based on spectra of seven nonvariable member stars observed with Magellan/IMACS, we confidently resolve Pegasus IV’s velocity dispersion, measuring
σ
v
=
3.3
−
1.1
+
1.7
km s
−1
(after excluding three velocity outliers); this implies a mass-to-light ratio of
M
1
/
2
/
L
V
,
1
/
2
=
167
−
99
+
224
M
⊙
/
L
⊙
for the system. From the five stars with the highest signal-to-noise spectra, we also measure a systemic metallicity of Fe/H =
−
2.63
−
0.30
+
0.26
dex, making Pegasus IV one of the most metal-poor ultra-faint dwarfs. We tentatively resolve a nonzero metallicity dispersion for the system. These measurements provide strong evidence that Pegasus IV is a dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxy, rather than a star cluster. We measure Pegasus IV’s proper motion using data from Gaia Early Data Release 3, finding (
μ
α
*
,
μ
δ
) = (0.33 ± 0.07, −0.21 ± 0.08) mas yr
−1
. When combined with our measured systemic velocity, this proper motion suggests that Pegasus IV is on an elliptical, retrograde orbit, and is currently near its orbital apocenter. Lastly, we identify three potential RR Lyrae variable stars within Pegasus IV, including one candidate member located more than 10 half-light radii away from the system’s centroid. The discovery of yet another ultra-faint dwarf galaxy strongly suggests that the census of Milky Way satellites is still incomplete, even within 100 kpc.
Abstract
We report the discovery of six ultra-faint Milky Way satellites identified through matched-filter searches conducted using Dark Energy Camera (DECam) data processed as part of the second ...data release of the DECam Local Volume Exploration (DELVE) survey. Leveraging deep Gemini/GMOS-N imaging (for four candidates) as well as follow-up DECam imaging (for two candidates), we characterize the morphologies and stellar populations of these systems. We find that these candidates all share faint absolute magnitudes (
M
V
≥ −3.2 mag) and old, metal-poor stellar populations (
τ
> 10 Gyr, Fe/H < −1.4 dex). Three of these systems are more extended (
r
1/2
> 15 pc), while the other three are compact (
r
1/2
< 10 pc). From these properties, we infer that the former three systems (Boötes V, Leo Minor I, and Virgo II) are consistent with ultra-faint dwarf galaxy classifications, whereas the latter three (DELVE 3, DELVE 4, and DELVE 5) are likely ultra-faint star clusters. Using data from the Gaia satellite, we confidently measure the proper motion of Boötes V, Leo Minor I, and DELVE 4, and tentatively detect a proper-motion signal from DELVE 3 and DELVE 5; no signal is detected for Virgo II. We use these measurements to explore possible associations between the newly discovered systems and the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal, the Magellanic Clouds, and the Vast Polar Structure, finding several plausible associations. Our results offer a preview of the numerous ultra-faint stellar systems that will soon be discovered by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and highlight the challenges of classifying the faintest stellar systems.
Abstract
We present Magellan/IMACS, Anglo-Australian Telescope/AAOmega+2dF, and Very Large Telescope/GIRAFFE+FLAMES spectroscopy of the Carina II (Car II) and Carina III (Car III) dwarf galaxy ...candidates, recently discovered in the Magellanic Satellites Survey (MagLiteS). We identify 18 member stars in Car II, including two binaries with variable radial velocities and two RR Lyrae stars. The other 14 members have a mean heliocentric velocity
and a velocity dispersion of
. Assuming Car II is in dynamical equilibrium, we derive a total mass within the half-light radius of
, indicating a mass-to-light ratio of
/
. From equivalent width measurements of the calcium triplet lines of nine red giant branch (RGB) stars, we derive a mean metallicity of
with dispersion
. Considering both the kinematic and chemical properties, we conclude that Car II is a dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxy. For Car III, we identify four member stars, from which we calculate a systemic velocity of
. The brightest RGB member of Car III has a metallicity of
. Due to the small size of the Car III spectroscopic sample, we cannot conclusively determine its nature. Although these two systems have the smallest known physical separation (
) among Local Group satellites, the large difference in their systemic velocities,
, indicates that they are unlikely to be a bound pair. One or both systems are likely associated with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and may remain LMC satellites today. No statistically significant excess of
γ
-ray emission is found at the locations of Car II and Car III in eight years of
Fermi
-LAT data.
Abstract
We present a spectroscopic analysis of Eridanus IV (Eri IV) and Centaurus I (Cen I), two ultrafaint dwarf galaxies of the Milky Way. Using IMACS/Magellan spectroscopy, we identify 28 member ...stars of Eri IV and 34 member stars of Cen I. For Eri IV, we measure a systemic velocity of
v
sys
=
−
31.5
−
1.2
+
1.3
km
s
−
1
, and velocity dispersion
σ
v
=
6.1
−
0.9
+
1.2
km
s
−
1
. Additionally, we measure the metallicities of 16 member stars of Eri IV. We find a metallicity of
Fe
/
H
=
−
2.87
−
0.07
+
0.08
, and resolve a dispersion of
σ
Fe/H
=0.20 ± 0.09. The mean metallicity is marginally lower than all other known ultrafaint dwarf galaxies, making it one of the most metal-poor galaxies discovered thus far. Eri IV also has a somewhat unusual right-skewed metallicity distribution. For Cen I, we find a velocity
v
sys
= 44.9 ± 0.8 km s
−1
, and velocity dispersion
σ
v
=
4.2
−
0.5
+
0.6
km
s
−
1
. We measure the metallicities of 27 member stars of Cen I, and find a mean metallicity Fe/H = −2.57 ± 0.08, and metallicity dispersion
σ
Fe
/
H
=
0.38
−
0.05
+
0.07
. We calculate the systemic proper motion, orbit, and the astrophysical J-factor for each system, the latter of which indicates that Eri IV is a good target for indirect dark matter detection. We also find no strong evidence for tidal stripping of Cen I or Eri IV. Overall, our measurements confirm that Eri IV and Cen I are dark-matter-dominated galaxies with properties largely consistent with other known ultrafaint dwarf galaxies. The low metallicity, right-skewed metallicity distribution, and high J-factor make Eri IV an especially interesting candidate for further follow-up.
The origin of the gas in between the Magellanic Clouds (MCs), known as the Magellanic Bridge, has always been the subject of controversy. To shed light into this, we present the results from the ...MAGellanic Inter-Cloud II (MAGIC II) project aimed at probing the stellar populations in 10 large fields located perpendicular to the main ridge-line of H i in the Inter-Cloud region. We secured these observations of the stellar populations in between the MCs using the WFI (Wide Field Imager) camera on the 2.2 m telescope in La Silla. Using colour–magnitude diagrams, we trace stellar populations across the Inter-Cloud region. In good agreement with MAGIC I, we find significant intermediate-age stars in the Inter-Cloud region as well as young stars of a similar age to the last pericentre passage in between the MCs (∼200 Myr ago). We show here that the young, intermediate-age and old stars have distinct spatial distributions. The young stars correlate well with the H i gas suggesting that they were either recently stripped from the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) or formed in situ. The bulk of intermediate-age stars are located mainly in the Bridge region where the H i column density is higher, but they are more spread out than the young stars. They have very similar properties to stars located ∼2 kpc from the SMC centre, suggesting that they were tidally stripped from this region. Finally, the old stars extend to some 8 kpc from the SMC supporting the idea that all galaxies have a large extended metal-poor stellar halo.
ABSTRACT
We use the SMASH survey to obtain unprecedented deep photometry reaching down to the oldest main-sequence turn-offs in the colour–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of the Small Magellanic Cloud ...(SMC) and quantitatively derive its star formation history (SFH) using CMD fitting techniques. We identify five distinctive peaks of star formation in the last 3.5 Gyr, at ∼3, ∼2, ∼1.1, ∼0.45 Gyr ago, and one presently. We compare these to the SFH of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), finding unequivocal synchronicity, with both galaxies displaying similar periods of enhanced star formation over the past ∼3.5 Gyr. The parallelism between their SFHs indicates that tidal interactions between the MCs have recurrently played an important role in their evolution for at least the last ∼3.5 Gyr, tidally truncating the SMC and shaping the LMC’s spiral arm. We show, for the first time, an SMC–LMC correlated SFH at recent times in which enhancements of star formation are localized in the northern spiral arm of the LMC, and globally across the SMC. These novel findings should be used to constrain not only the orbital history of the MCs but also how star formation should be treated in simulations.
Abstract
We report the discovery of two ultra-faint satellites in the vicinity of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) in data from the Magellanic Satellites Survey (MagLiteS ). Situated 18 deg (∼20 kpc) ...from the LMC and separated from each other by only 18 arcmin, Carina II and III form an intriguing pair. By simultaneously modelling the spatial and the colour–magnitude stellar distributions, we find that both Carina II and Carina III are likely dwarf galaxies, although this is less clear for Carina III. There are in fact several obvious differences between the two satellites. While both are well described by an old and metal poor population, Carina II is located at ∼36 kpc from the Sun, with MV ∼ −4.5 and rh ∼ 90 pc, and it is further confirmed by the discovery of 3 RR Lyrae at the right distance. In contrast, Carina III is much more elongated, measured to be fainter (MV ∼ −2.4), significantly more compact (rh ∼ 30 pc), and closer to the Sun, at ∼28 kpc, placing it only 8 kpc away from Car II. Together with several other systems detected by the Dark Energy Camera, Carina II and III form a strongly anisotropic cloud of satellites in the vicinity of the Magellanic Clouds.
We exploit data from the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS) to study the extended structures of M31's dwarf elliptical companions, NGC 147 and NGC 185. Our wide-field, homogeneous ...photometry allows us to construct deep colour–magnitude diagrams which reach down to ∼3 mag below the red giant branch (RGB) tip. We trace the stellar components of the galaxies to surface brightness of μg ∼ 32 mag arcsec−2 and show that they have much larger extents (∼5 kpc radii) than previously recognized. While NGC 185 retains a regular shape in its peripheral regions, NGC 147 exhibits pronounced isophotal twisting due to the emergence of symmetric tidal tails. We fit single Sérsic models to composite surface brightness profiles constructed from diffuse light and star counts and find that NGC 147 has an effective radius almost three times that of NGC 185. In both cases, the effective radii that we calculate are larger by a factor of ∼2 compared to most literature values. We also calculate revised total magnitudes of M
g = −15.36 ± 0.04 for NGC 185 and M
g = −16.36 ± 0.04 for NGC 147. Using photometric metallicities computed for RGB stars, we find NGC 185 to exhibit a metallicity gradient of Fe/H ∼ −0.15 dex kpc−1 over the radial range 0.125–0.5 deg. On the other hand, NGC 147 exhibits almost no metallicity gradient, ∼−0.02 dex kpc−1 from 0.2 to 0.6 deg. The differences in the structure and stellar populations in the outskirts of these systems suggest that tidal influences have played an important role in governing the evolution of NGC 147.
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