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Selected Abstracts39Ar- 40Ar dating of the Zagami Martian shergottite and implications for magma origin of excess 40ArMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 7 2008Donald D. BOGARD 1992, 1999). Like several shergottites, Zagami contains excess 40Ar relative to its formation age. To understand the origin of this excess 40Ar, we made 39Ar- 40Ar analyses on plagioclase and pyroxene minerals from two phases representing different stages in the magma evolution. Surprisingly, all these separates show similar concentrations of excess 40Ar, ,1 × 10,6 cm3/g. We present arguments against this excess 40Ar having been introduced from the Martian atmosphere as impact glass. We also present evidence against excess 40Ar being a partially degassed residue from a basalt that actually formed ,4 Gyr ago. We utilize our experimental data on Ar diffusion in Zagami and evidence that it was shock-heated to only ,70 °C, and we assume this heating occurred during an ejection from Mars ,3 Myr ago. With these constraints, thermal considerations necessitates either that its ejected mass was impossibly large, or that its shock-heating temperature was an order of magnitude higher than that measured. We suggest that this excess 40Ar was inherited from the Zagami magma, and that it was introduced into the magma either by degassing of a larger volume of material or by early assimilation of old, K-rich crustal material. Similar concentrations of excess 40Ar in the analyzed separates imply that this magma maintained a relatively constant 40Ar concentration throughout its crystallization. This likely occurred through volatile degassing as the magma rose toward the surface and lithostatic pressure was released. These concepts have implications for excess 40Ar in other shergottites. [source] Review of the population of impactors and the impact cratering rate in the inner solar systemMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 11 2007Patrick Michel The best witness of these events is the lunar surface, which kept the memory of the impacts that it underwent during the last 3.8 Gyr. In this paper, we review the recent studies at the origin of a reliable model of the impactor population in the inner solar system, namely the near-Earth object (NEO) population. Then we briefly expose the scaling laws used to relate a crater diameter to body size. The model of the NEO population and its impact frequency on terrestrial planets is consistent with the crater distribution on the lunar surface when appropriate scaling laws are used. Concerning the early phases of our solar system's history, a scenario has recently been proposed that explains the origin of the Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB) and some other properties of our solar system. In this scenario, the four giant planets had initially circular orbits, were much closer to each other, and were surrounded by a massive disk of planetesimals. Dynamical interactions with this disk destabilized the planetary system after 500,600 Myr. Consequently, a large portion of the planetesimal disk, as well as 95% of the Main Belt asteroids, were sent into the inner solar system, causing the LHB while the planets reached their current orbits. Our knowledge of solar system evolution has thus improved in the last decade despite our still-poor understanding of the complex cratering process. [source] Ages of rampart craters in equatorial regions on Mars: Implications for the past and present distribution of ground iceMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 10 2006D. Reiss We measured crater size frequencies on the layered ejecta of rampart craters in three equatorial regions to derive absolute model ages and to constrain the regional volatile history. Nearly all rampart craters in the Xanthe Terra region are ,3.8 Gyr old. This corresponds to the Noachian fluvial activity that region. Rampart crater formation declines in the Hesperian, whereas onset diameters (minimum diameter) increase. No new rampart craters formed after the end of the Hesperian (,3 Gyr). This indicates a lowering of the ground ice table with time in the Xanthe Terra region. Most rampart craters in the Valles Marineris region are around 3.6 Gyr old. Only one large, probably Amazonian-aged (,2.5 Gyr), rampart crater exists. These ages indicate a volatile-rich period in the Early Hesperian and a lowering of the ground ice table with time in the Valles Marineris study region. Rampart craters in southern Chryse Planitia, which are partly eroded by fluvial activity, show ages around 3.9 Gyr. Rampart craters superposed on channels have ages between ,1.5 and ,0.6 Gyr. The onset diameter (3 km at ,1.5 Gyr) in this region may indicate a relatively shallow ground ice table. Loss of volatiles due to diffusion and sublimation might have lowered the ground ice table even in the southern Chryse Planitia region afterwards. In general, our study implies a formation of the smallest rampart craters within and/or shortly after periods of fluvial activity and a subsequent lowering of the ground ice table indicated by increasing onset diameter to the present. These results question the method to derive present equatorial ground ice depths from the onset diameter of rampart craters without information about their formation time. [source] 39Ar- 40Ar ages of eucrites and thermal history of asteroid 4 VestaMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 5 2003Donald D. Bogard Past studies have shown that after most eucrites formed, they underwent metamorphism in temperatures up to ,800°C. Much later, many were brecciated and heated by large impacts into the parent body surface. The less common basaltic, unbrecciated eucrites also formed near the surface but, presumably, escaped later brecciation, while the cumulate eucrites formed at depths where metamorphism may have persisted for a considerable period. To further understand the complex HED parent body thermal history, we determined new 39Ar- 40Ar ages for 9 eucrites classified as basaltic but unbrecciated, 6 eucrites classified as cumulate, and several basaltic-brecciated eucrites. Precise Ar-Ar ages of 2 cumulate eucrites (Moama and EET 87520) and 4 unbrecciated eucrites give a tight cluster at 4.48 ± 0.02 Gyr (not including any uncertainties in the flux monitor age). Ar-Ar ages of 6 additional unbrecciated eucrites are consistent with this age within their relatively larger age uncertainties. By contrast, available literature data on Pb-Pb isochron ages of 4 cumulate eucrites and 1 unbrecciated eucrite vary over 4.4,4.515 Gyr, and 147Sm- 143Nd isochron ages of 4 cumulate and 3 unbrecciated eucrites vary over 4.41,4.55 Gyr. Similar Ar-Ar ages for cumulate and unbrecciated eucrites imply that cumulate eucrites do not have a younger formation age than basaltic eucrites, as was previously proposed. We suggest that these cumulate and unbrecciated eucrites resided at a depth where parent body temperatures were sufficiently high to cause the K-Ar and some other chronometers to remain as open diffusion systems. From the strong clustering of Ar-Ar ages at ,4.48 Gyr, we propose that these meteorites were excavated from depth in a single large impact event ,4.48 Gyr ago, which quickly cooled the samples and started the K-Ar chronometer. A large (,460 km) crater postulated to exist on Vesta may be the source of these eucrites and of many smaller asteroids thought to be spectrally or physically associated with Vesta. Some Pb-Pb and Sm-Nd ages of cumulate and unbrecciated eucrites are consistent with the Ar-Ar age of 4.48 Gyr, and the few older Pb-Pb and Sm-Nd ages may reflect an isotopic closure before the large cratering event. One cumulate eucrite gives an Ar-Ar age of 4.25 Gyr; 3 additional cumulate eucrites give Ar-Ar ages of 3.4,3.7 Gyr; and 2 unbrecciated eucrites give Ar-Ar ages of ,3.55 Gyr. We attribute these younger ages to a later impact heating. Furthermore, the Ar-Ar impact-reset ages of several brecciated eucrites and eucritic clasts in howardites fall within the range of 3.5,4.1 Gyr. Among these, Piplia Kalan, the first eucrite to show evidence for extinct 26Al, was strongly impact heated ,3.5 Gyr ago. When these data are combined with eucrite Ar-Ar ages in the literature, they confirm that several large impact heating events occurred on Vesta between ,4.1,3.4 Gyr ago. The onset of major impact heating may have occurred at similar times for both Vesta and the moon, but impact heating appears to have persisted for a somewhat later time on Vesta. [source] Ionized gas in E/S0 galaxies with dust lanesMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2010Ido Finkelman ABSTRACT We report the results of multicolour observations of 30 E/S0 galaxies with dust lanes. For each galaxy we obtained broad-band images and narrow-band images using interference filters isolating the H,+[N ii] emission lines to derive the amount and morphology of dust and ionized gas. To improve the wavelength coverage we retrieved data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Two Micron All Sky Survey and combined these with our data. Ionized gas is detected in 25 galaxies and shows in most cases a smooth morphology, although knots and filamentary structure are also observed in some objects. The extended gas distribution closely follows the dust structure, with a clear correlation between the mass of both components. An extinction law by the extragalactic dust in the dark lanes is derived and is used to estimate the dust content of the galaxies. The derived extinction law is used to correct the measured colours for intrinsic dust extinction and the data are fitted with a stellar population synthesis model. We find that the H, emission and colours of most objects are consistent with the presence of an ,old' stellar population (,10 Gyr) and a small fraction of a ,young' population (, 10,100 Myr). To check this we closely examine NGC 5363, for which archival Spitzer/Infrared Array Camera and Galaxy Evolution Explorer data are available, as a representative dust-lane E/S0 galaxy of the sample. [source] PG 1258+593 and its common proper motion magnetic white dwarf counterpartMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2010J. Girven ABSTRACT We confirm SDSS J130033.48+590407.0 as a common proper motion companion to the well-studied hydrogen-atmosphere (DA) white dwarf PG 1258+593 (GD322). The system lies at a distance of 68 ± 3 pc, where the angular separation of 16.1 ± 0.1 arcsec corresponds to a minimum binary separation of 1091 ± 7 au. SDSS J1300+5904 is a cool (Teff= 6300 ± 300 K) magnetic white dwarf (B, 6 mG). PG 1258+593 is a DA white dwarf with Teff= 14790 ± 77 K and log g= 7.87 ± 0.02. Using the white dwarf mass,radius relation implies the masses of SDSS J1300+5904 and PG 1258+593 are 0.54 ± 0.06 and 0.54 ± 0.01 M,, respectively, and therefore a cooling age difference of 1.67 ± 0.05 Gyr. Adopting main-sequence lifetimes from stellar models, we derive an upper limit of 2.2 M, for the mass of the progenitor of PG 1258+593. A plausible range of initial masses is 1.4,1.8 M, for PG 1258+593 and 2,3 M, for SDSS J1300+5904. Our analysis shows that white dwarf common proper motion binaries can potentially constrain the white dwarf initial mass,final mass relation and the formation mechanism for magnetic white dwarfs. The magnetic field of SDSS J1300+5904 is consistent with an Ap progenitor star. A common envelope origin of the system cannot be excluded, but requires a triple system as progenitor. [source] The properties of the stellar populations in ULIRGs , I. Sample, data and spectral synthesis modellingMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2009J. Rodríguez Zaurín ABSTRACT We present deep long-slit optical spectra for a sample of 36 ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs), taken with the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma with the aim of investigating the star formation histories and testing evolutionary scenarios for such objects. Here we present the sample, the analysis techniques and a general overview of the properties of the stellar populations; a more detailed discussion will be presented in a forthcoming paper. Spectral synthesis modelling has been used in order to estimate the ages of the stellar populations found in the diffuse light sampled by the spectra in both the nuclear and extended regions of the target galaxies. We find that adequate fits can be obtained using combinations of young stellar populations (YSPs; tYSP, 2 Gyr), with ages divided into two groups: very young stellar populations (VYSPs; tVYSP, 100 Myr) and intermediate-young stellar populations (IYSPs; 0.1 < tIYSP, 2 Gyr). Our results show that YSPs are present at all locations of the galaxies covered by our slit positions, with the exception of the northern nuclear region of the ULIRG IRAS 23327+2913. Furthermore, VYSPs are present in at least 85 per cent of the 133 extraction apertures used for this study, being more significant in the nuclear regions of the galaxies. Old stellar populations (OSPs; tOSP > 2 Gyr) do not make a major contribution to the optical light in the majority of the apertures extracted. In fact they are essential for fitting the spectra in only 5 per cent (seven) of the extracted apertures. The estimated total masses for the YSPs (VYSPs + IYSPs) are in the range 0.18 × 1010,MYSP, 50 × 1010 M,. We have also estimated the bolometric luminosities associated with the stellar populations detected at optical wavelengths, finding that they fall in the range 0.07 × 1012 < Lbol < 2.2 × 1012 L,. In addition, we find that reddening is significant at all locations in the galaxies. This result emphasizes the importance of accounting for reddening effects when modelling the stellar populations of star-forming galaxies. [source] Major dry mergers in early-type brightest cluster galaxiesMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2009F. S. Liu ABSTRACT We search for ongoing major dry mergers in a well-selected sample of local brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) from the C4 cluster catalogue. 18 out of 515 early-type BCGs with redshift between 0.03 and 0.12 are found to be in major dry mergers, which are selected as pairs (or triples) with r -band magnitude difference ,mr < 1.5 and projected separation rp < 30 kpc, and showing signatures of interaction in the form of significant asymmetry in residual images. We find that the fraction of BCGs in major dry mergers increases with the richness of the clusters, consistent with the fact that richer clusters usually have more massive (or luminous) BCGs. We estimate that present-day early-type BCGs may have experienced on average ,0.6 (tmerge/0.3 Gyr),1 major dry mergers and through this process increases their luminosity (mass) by 15 per cent (tmerge/0.3 Gyr),1 (fmass/0.5) on average since z= 0.7, where tmerge is the merging time-scale and fmass is the mean mass fraction of companion galaxies added to the central ones. We also find that major dry mergers do not seem to elevate radio activities in BCGs. Our study shows that major dry mergers involving BCGs in clusters of galaxies are not rare in the local Universe, and they are an important channel for the formation and evolution of BCGs. [source] Formation and evolution of dwarf elliptical galaxies , II.MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2009Spatially resolved star formation histories ABSTRACT We present optical Very Large Telescope spectroscopy of 16 dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs) comparable in mass to NGC 205, and belonging to the Fornax cluster and to nearby groups of galaxies. Using full-spectrum fitting, we derive radial profiles of the SSP-equivalent ages and metallicities. We make a detailed analysis with ulyss and steckmap of the star formation history in the core of the galaxies and in an aperture of one effective radius. We resolved the history into one to four epochs. The statistical significance of these reconstructions was carefully tested; the two programs give remarkably consistent results. The old stellar population of the dEs, which dominates their mass, is likely coeval with that of massive ellipticals or bulges, but the star formation efficiency is lower. Important intermediate age (1,5 Gyr) populations and frequently tails of star formation until recent times are detected. These histories are reminiscent of their lower mass dwarf spheroidal counterparts of the Local Group. Most galaxies (10/16) show significant metallicity gradients, with metallicity declining by 0.5 dex over one half-light radius on average. These gradients are already present in the old population. The flattened (or discy), rotating objects (6/16) have flat metallicity profiles. This may be consistent with a distinct origin for these galaxies or it may be due to their geometry. The central single stellar population equivalent age varies between 1 and 6 Gyr, with the age slowly increasing with radius in the vast majority of objects. The group and cluster galaxies have similar radial gradients and star formation histories. The strong and old metallicity gradients place important constraints on the possible formation scenarios of dEs. Numerical simulations of the formation of spherical low-mass galaxies reproduce these gradients, but they require a longer time for them to build up. A gentle depletion of the gas, by ram pressure stripping or starvation, could drive the gas-rich, star-forming progenitors to the present dEs. [source] Seven young star clusters in the inner region of the Small Magellanic CloudMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2008Andrés E. Piatti ABSTRACT We present CCD photometry in the Washington system C and T1 passbands down to T1, 22 in the fields of L35, L45, L49, L50, L62, L63 and L85, seven poorly studied star clusters in the inner region of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We measured T1 magnitudes and C,T1 colours for a total of 114 826 stars distributed throughout cluster areas of 13.7 × 13.7 arcmin2 each. Cluster radii were estimated from star counts distributed throughout the entire observed fields. The seven clusters are generally characterized by a relatively small angular size and by a high field star contamination. We performed an in-depth analysis of the field star contamination of the colour,magnitude diagrams (CMDs), and statistically cleaned the cluster CMDs. Based on the best fits of isochrones computed by the Padova group to the (T1, C,T1) CMDs, we derive ages for the sample, assuming Z= 0.004, finding ages between 25 Myr and 1.2 Gyr. We then examined different relationships between positions in the SMC, age and metallicity of a larger sample of clusters including our previous work whose ages and metallicities are on the same scale used in this paper. We confirm previous results in the sense that the further a cluster is from the centre of the galaxy, the older and more metal poor it is, with some dispersion; although clusters associated with the Magellanic Bridge clearly do not obey the general trend. The number of clusters within , 2° of the SMC centre appears to have increased substantially after ,2.5 Gyr ago, hinting at a burst. [source] Distant future of the Sun and Earth revisitedMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2008K.-P. Schröder ABSTRACT We revisit the distant future of the Sun and the Solar system, based on stellar models computed with a thoroughly tested evolution code. For the solar giant stages, mass loss by the cool (but not dust-driven) wind is considered in detail. Using the new and well-calibrated mass-loss formula of Schröder & Cuntz, we find that the mass lost by the Sun as a red giant branch (RGB) giant (0.332 M,, 7.59 Gyr from now) potentially gives planet Earth a significant orbital expansion, inversely proportional to the remaining solar mass. According to these solar evolution models, the closest encounter of planet Earth with the solar cool giant photosphere will occur during the tip-RGB phase. During this critical episode, for each time-step of the evolution model, we consider the loss of orbital angular momentum suffered by planet Earth from tidal interaction with the giant Sun, as well as dynamical drag in the lower chromosphere. As a result of this, we find that planet Earth will not be able to escape engulfment, despite the positive effect of solar mass loss. In order to survive the solar tip-RGB phase, any hypothetical planet would require a present-day minimum orbital radius of about 1.15 au. The latter result may help to estimate the chances of finding planets around white dwarfs. Furthermore, our solar evolution models with detailed mass-loss description predict that the resulting tip-AGB (asymptotic giant branch) giant will not reach its tip-RGB size. Compared to other solar evolution models, the main reason is the more significant amount of mass lost already in the RGB phase of the Sun. Hence, the tip-AGB luminosity will come short of driving a final, dust-driven superwind, and there will be no regular solar planetary nebula (PN). The tip-AGB is marked by a last thermal pulse, and the final mass loss of the giant may produce a circumstellar (CS) shell similar to, but rather smaller than, that of the peculiar PN IC 2149 with an estimated total CS shell mass of just a few hundredths of a solar mass. [source] Spectroscopic and photometric observations of the selected Algol-type binaries , II.MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2008V2080 Cygni, V2365 Ophiuchi ABSTRACT This paper is the second in the planned series of investigations. We present new radial velocities and photometric observations of V2080 Cyg and V2365 Oph. New UBV photometric data and radial velocities were analysed for the systems' parameters. While V2080 Cyg consists of two nearly equal F-type main-sequence stars, V2365 Oph has two different components, namely an early A-type primary and a G-type secondary star. New ephemerides are calculated for both systems. The masses of the component stars have been derived as 1.19 ± 0.02 and 1.16 ± 0.02 M, for V2080 Cyg and 1.97 ± 0.02 and 1.06 ± 0.01 M, for V2365 Oph. The effective temperatures and reddening of the systems have been estimated from Johnson wide-band UBV photometric calibrations. The radii have been measured by simultaneous fitting the UBV light curves using Wilson,Devinney code and are 1.60 ± 0.01 R, for both components of V2080 Cyg and 2.19 ± 0.01 and 0.934 ± 0.004 R, for V2365 Oph. The absolute parameters of the stars in both systems lie within the same ranges in the mass,radius, mass,effective temperature, mass,luminosity and luminosity,effective temperature planes as in detached Algol systems. A comparison between the properties of the systems of interest and the predictions of theoretical evolutionary models is undertaken in the log g,logTeff, log R, log M and radius,log age diagrams. The model predictions match the measured properties of V2080 Cyg for an age of about 5.6 Gyr and a ,solar' metal abundance (Z= 0.019), indicating the components near the end of their core hydrogen-burning phases. However, the position of the components of V2365 Oph on the Hertzsprung,Russell (HR) diagram is best reproduced with evolutionary models for somewhat metal-deficient (Z= 0.004) stars. We found an age of about 700 Myr, with the primary component slightly evolved off the zero-age main-sequence and the secondary one still very close to it. From the basic stellar parameters we have also redetermined the distances to V2080 Cyg and V2365 Oph as 78 ± 1 and 251 ± 8 pc, which are in agreement with, and more accurate than, Hipparcos values. The observations show that at least one of the components of V2365 Oph is an intrinsic variable with a period and peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.07 d and 0.05 mag, respectively. In accordance with its position in the HR diagram, the primary component should be considered as a , Scuti star and it is believed to be the variable star in the system. [source] The poorly constrained cluster disruption time-scale in the Large Magellanic CloudMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2008Genevičve Parmentier ABSTRACT We use Monte Carlo simulations, combined with homogeneously determined age and mass distributions, based on multiwavelength photometry, to constrain the cluster formation history and the rate of bound cluster disruption in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) star cluster system. We evolve synthetic star cluster systems formed with a power-law initial cluster mass function (ICMF) of spectral index ,=,2 assuming different cluster disruption time-scales. For each of these cluster disruption time-scales, we derive the corresponding cluster formation rate (CFR) required to reproduce the observed cluster age distribution. We then compare, in a ,Poissonian',2 sense, model mass distributions and model two-dimensional distributions in log(mass) versus log(age) space of the detected surviving clusters to the observations. Because of the bright detection limit (MlimV,,4.7 mag) above which the observed cluster sample is complete, one cannot constrain the characteristic cluster disruption time-scale for a 104 M, cluster, tdis4[where the disruption time-scale depends on cluster mass as tdis=tdis4(Mcl/104 M,),, with ,, 0.62], to better than a lower limit, tdis4, 1 Gyr. We conclude that the CFR has been increasing steadily from 0.3 clusters Myr,1 5 Gyr ago to a present rate of (20,30) clusters Myr,1 for clusters spanning a mass range of ,100,107 M,. For older ages, the derived CFR depends sensitively on our assumption of the underlying CMF shape. If we assume a universal Gaussian ICMF, then the CFR has increased steadily over a Hubble time from ,1 cluster Gyr,1 15 Gyr ago to its present value. On the other hand, if the ICMF has always been a power law with a slope close to ,=,2, the CFR exhibits a minimum some 5 Gyr ago, which we tentatively identify with the well-known age gap in the LMC's cluster age distribution. [source] The UV properties of E+A galaxies: constraints on feedback-driven quenching of star formationMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2007S. Kaviraj ABSTRACT We present the first large-scale study of E+A galaxies that incorporates photometry in the ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths. E+A galaxies are ,post-starburst' systems, with strong Balmer absorption lines indicating significant recent star formation, but without [O ii] and H, emission lines which are characteristic of ongoing star formation. The starburst that creates the E+A galaxy typically takes place within the last Gyr and creates a high fraction (20,60 per cent) of the stellar mass in the remnant over a short time-scale (<0.1 Gyr). We find a tight correlation between the luminosity of our E+A galaxies and the implied star formation rate (SFR) during the starburst. While low-luminosity E+As [M(z) > ,20] exhibit implied SFRs of less than 50 M, yr,1, their luminous counterparts [M(z) < ,22] show SFRs greater than 300 and as high as 2000 M, yr,1, suggesting that luminous and ultra-luminous infrared galaxies in the low-redshift Universe could be the progenitors of massive nearby E+A galaxies. We perform a comprehensive study of the characteristics of the quenching that truncates the starburst in E+A systems. We find that, for galaxies less massive than 1010 M,, the quenching efficiency decreases as the galaxy mass increases. However, for galaxies more massive than 1010 M,, this trend is reversed and the quenching efficiency increases with galaxy mass. Noting that the mass threshold at which this reversal occurs is in excellent agreement with the mass above which active galactic nuclei (AGN) become significantly more abundant in nearby galaxies, we use simple energetic arguments to show that the bimodal behaviour of the quenching efficiency is consistent with AGN and supernovae (SN) being the principal sources of negative feedback above and below M, 1010 M,, respectively. The arguments assume that quenching occurs through the mechanical ejection or dispersal of the gas reservoir and that, in the high-mass regime (M > 1010 M,), the Eddington ratios in this sample of galaxies scale as M,, where 1 < , < 3. Finally, we use our E+A sample to estimate the time it takes for galaxies to migrate from the blue cloud to the red sequence. We find migration times between 1 and 5 Gyr, with a median value of 1.5 Gyr. [source] Spectral models for solar-scaled and ,-enhanced stellar populationsMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2007P. Coelho ABSTRACT We present the first models allowing one to explore in a consistent way the influence of changes in the ,-element-to-iron abundance ratio on the high-resolution spectral properties of evolving stellar populations. The models cover the wavelength range from 3000 Ĺ to 1.34 ,m at a constant resolution of full width at half-maximum (FWHM) = 1 Ĺ and a sampling of 0.2 Ĺ, for overall metallicities in the range 0.005 ,Z, 0.048 and for stellar population ages between 3 and 14 Gyr. These models are based on a recent library of synthetic stellar spectra and a new library of stellar evolutionary tracks, both computed for three different iron abundances ([Fe/H]=,0.5, 0.0 and 0.2) and two different ,-element-to-iron abundance ratios ([,/Fe]= 0.0 and 0.4). We expect our fully synthetic models to be primarily useful for evaluating the differential effect of changes in the ,/Fe ratio on spectral properties such as broad-band colours and narrow spectral features. In addition, we assess the accuracy of absolute model predictions in two ways: first, by comparing the predictions of models for scaled-solar metal abundances ([,/Fe]= 0.0) to those of existing models based on libraries of observed stellar spectra; and secondly, by comparing the predictions of models for ,-enhanced metal abundances ([,/Fe]= 0.4) to observed spectra of massive early-type galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4. We find that our models predict accurate strengths for those spectral indices that are strongly sensitive to the abundances of Fe and , elements. The predictions are less reliable for the strengths of other spectral features, such as those dominated by the abundances of C and N, as expected from the fact that the models do not yet allow one to explore the influence of these elements in an independent way. We conclude that our models are a powerful tool for extracting new information about the chemical properties of galaxies for which high-quality spectra have been gathered by modern surveys. [source] Constraints on the merging time-scale of luminous red galaxies, or, where do all the haloes go?MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2007Charlie Conroy ABSTRACT In the , cold dark matter cosmology, dark matter haloes grow primarily through the accretion of smaller haloes. Much of the mass in a halo of 1014 M, comes in through accretion of ,1013 M, haloes. If each such halo hosted one luminous red galaxy (LRG) then the accretion of so many haloes is at odds with the observed number of LRGs in clusters unless these accreted LRGs merge or disrupt on relatively short time-scales (,2 Gyr). These time-scales are consistent with classical dynamical friction arguments, and imply that two to three LRGs have merged or disrupted within each halo more massive than 1014 M, by z= 0. The total amount of stellar mass brought into these massive haloes by z= 0 is consistent with observations once the intracluster light (ICL) is included. If disrupted LRGs build up the ICL, then the hierarchical growth of massive haloes implies that a substantial amount of ICL should also surround satellite LRGs, as suggested by recent observations of the Virgo cluster. Finally, we point out that these results are entirely consistent with a non-evolving clustering strength and halo occupation distribution, and note that observations of the latter in fact support the hypothesis that merging/disruption of massive galaxies does indeed take place at late times. [source] Mass modelling of dwarf spheroidal galaxies: the effect of unbound stars from tidal tails and the Milky WayMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2007Jaros, aw Klimentowski ABSTRACT We study the origin and properties of the population of unbound stars in the kinematic samples of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies. For this purpose we have run a high-resolution N -body simulation of a two-component dwarf galaxy orbiting in a Milky Way potential. In agreement with the tidal stirring scenario of Mayer et al., the dwarf is placed on a highly eccentric orbit, its initial stellar component is in the form of an exponential disc and it has a NFW-like dark matter (DM) halo. After 10 Gyr of evolution the dwarf produces a spheroidal stellar component and is strongly tidally stripped so that mass follows light and the stars are on almost isotropic orbits. From this final state, we create mock kinematic data sets for 200 stars by observing the dwarf in different directions. We find that when the dwarf is observed along the tidal tails the kinematic samples are strongly contaminated by unbound stars from the tails. We also study another source of possible contamination by adding stars from the Milky Way. We demonstrate that most of the unbound stars can be removed by the method of interloper rejection proposed by den Hartog & Katgert and recently tested on simulated DM haloes. We model the cleaned-up kinematic samples using solutions of the Jeans equation with constant mass-to-light ratio (M/L) and velocity anisotropy parameter. We show that even for such a strongly stripped dwarf the Jeans analysis, when applied to cleaned samples, allows us to reproduce the mass and M/L of the dwarf with accuracy typically better than 25 per cent and almost exactly in the case when the line of sight is perpendicular to the tidal tails. The analysis was applied to the new data for the Fornax dSph galaxy. We show that after careful removal of interlopers the velocity dispersion profile of Fornax can be reproduced by a model in which mass traces light with a M/L of 11 solar units and isotropic orbits. We demonstrate that most of the contamination in the kinematic sample of Fornax probably originates from the Milky Way. [source] Evolutionary models for two hyper-iron-poor low-mass starsMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2007Gregory J. Harris ABSTRACT The possible origin of two low-mass hyper-iron-poor (HIP) stars, HE0107-5240 and HE1327-2326 are investigated. The three scenarios tested are as follows. (i) The star forms metal free (Population III) and accretes metals throughout its lifetime. (ii) A Population III binary star system forms, and the lower mass star accretes metals from the higher mass star during its asymptotic giant branch phase. (iii) An HIP Population II star is formed and evolves with no further pollution. Using the ng-elms code, stellar evolution models of these three scenarios are computed and fitted to the observed colours. Models are computed at 0.8 and 0.7 M,, and for several metal accretion rates. It is not possible to unambiguously identify the origin, evolutionary stage or mass for either star with the present observational data. Our evolutionary models indicate that HE0107,5240 is either a red giant or a subgiant close to the base of the red giant branch. In line with the study of Aoki et al., HE1327,2326 is found to be either a main-sequence or a subgiant star. If HE1327,2326 is a main-sequence star the fits indicate that it must have a mass less than 0.8 M,; if the star is assumed to have an age of around 12.5 Gyr it will have a mass closer to 0.7 M,. Main-sequence low-mass model Population III stars which have been polluted with metals are found to closely resemble Population II stars. However, the case is different for subgiants. The polluted and unpolluted Population III subgiants have luminosity up to twice that of a comparable Population II model. If HE1327,2326 is a subgiant, its distance is measured and if its mass can be reasonably well constrained, it should be possible to determine if it is a Population II or III star. [source] A highly obscured and strongly clustered galaxy population discovered with the Spitzer Space TelescopeMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2007M. Magliocchetti ABSTRACT The ,800 optically unseen (R > 25.5) 24-,m selected sources in the complete Spitzer First Look Survey sample with F24 ,m, 0.35 mJy are found to be very strongly clustered. If, as indicated by several lines of circumstantial evidence, they are ultraluminous far-infrared galaxies at z, 1.6,2.7, the amplitude of their spatial correlation function is very high. The associated comoving clustering length is estimated to be r0= 14.0+2.1,2.4 Mpc, value which puts these sources amongst the most strongly clustered populations of our known Universe. Their 8,24 ,m colours suggest that the active galactic nucleus contribution dominates above F24 ,m, 0.8 mJy, consistent with earlier analyses. The properties of these objects (number counts, redshift distribution, clustering amplitude) are fully consistent with those of proto-spheroidal galaxies in the process of forming most of their stars and of growing their active nucleus, as described by the Granato et al. model. In particular, the inferred space density of such galaxies at z, 2 is much higher than what is expected from most semi-analytic models. Matches of the observed projected correlation function w(,) with models derived within the so-called halo occupation scenario show that these sources have to be hosted by haloes more massive than ,1013.4 M,. This value is significantly higher than that for the typical galactic haloes hosting massive elliptical galaxies, suggesting a duration of the starburst phase of massive high-redshift dusty galaxies of TB, 0.5 Gyr. [source] A census of young stellar populations in the warm ULIRG PKS 1345+12MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2007J. Rodríguez Zaurín ABSTRACT We present a detailed investigation of the young stellar populations (YSP) in the radio-loud ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG), PKS 1345+12 (z= 0.12), based on high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging and long-slit spectra taken with the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) at La Palma. While the images clearly show bright knots suggestive of super star clusters (SSCs), the spectra reveal the presence of YSP in the diffuse light across the full extent of the halo of the merging double nucleus system. Spectral synthesis modelling has been used to estimate the ages of the YSP for both the SSC and the diffuse light sampled by the spectra. For the SSC, we find ages tSSC < 6 Myr with reddenings 0.2 < E(B,V) < 0.5 and masses 106 < MYSPSSC < 107 M,. In the region to the south of the western nucleus that contains the SSC our modelling of the spectrum of the diffuse light is also consistent with a relatively young age for the YSP (,5 Myr), although older YSP ages cannot be ruled out. However, in other regions of the galaxy we find that the spectra of the diffuse light component can only be modelled with a relatively old post-starburst YSP (0.04,1.0 Gyr) or with a disc galaxy template spectrum. The results demonstrate the importance of accounting for reddening in photometric studies of SSC and highlight the dangers of focusing on the highest surface brightness regions when trying to obtain a general impression of the star formation activity in the host galaxies of ULIRGs. The case of PKS 1345+12 provides clear evidence that the star formation histories of the YSP in ULIRGs are complex. While the SSC represent the vigorous phase of star formation associated with the final stages of the merger, the YSP in the diffuse light are likely to represent star formation in one or more of the merging galaxies at an earlier stage or prior to the start of the merger. Intriguingly, our long-slit spectra show line splitting at the locations of the SSC, indicating that they are moving at up to 450 km s,1 with respect to the local ambient gas. Given their kinematics, it is plausible that the SSCs have been formed either in fast moving gas streams/tidal tails that are falling back into the nuclear regions as part of the merger process or as a consequence of jet-induced star formation linked to the extended, diffuse radio emission detected in the halo of the galaxy. [source] Chemical enrichment of the intracluster medium by FR II radio sourcesMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2007D. Heath ABSTRACT We present 2D axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations investigating the long-term effect of Fanaroff,Riley type II radio galaxies on the metal distribution of the surrounding intracluster medium (ICM). A light jet is injected into a cooling flow atmosphere for 10,30 Myr. We then follow the subsequent evolution for 3 Gyr on a spherical grid spanning 3 Mpc in radius. A series of passive tracer particles were placed in an annulus about the cluster core to simulate metal carrying clouds in order to calculate the metallicity (Z) as a function of time and radial distance from the cluster centre. The jet has a significant effect on the ICM over the entire 3-Gyr period. By the end of the simulations, the jets produced metallicities of ,10 per cent of the initial metallicity of the cluster core throughout much of the cluster. The jets transport the metals not only in mixing regions, but also through upwelling ICM behind the jet, enriching the cluster over both long and short distances. [source] The stellar mass density at z, 6 from Spitzer imaging of i,-drop galaxiesMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2007Laurence P. Eyles ABSTRACT We measure the ages, stellar masses, and star formation histories of z, 6 galaxies, observed within 1 Gyr of the big bang. We use imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the Spitzer Space Telescope from the public ,Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey' (GOODS), coupled with ground-based near-infrared imaging, to measure their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from 0.8,5 ,m, spanning the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) and optical. From our sample of ,50 ,i,-drop' Lyman-break star-forming galaxies in GOODS-South with z,AB < 27, we focus on ,30 with reliable photometric or spectroscopic redshifts. Half of these are confused with foreground sources at Spitzer resolution, but from the 16 with clean photometry we find that a surprisingly large fraction (40 per cent) have evidence for substantial Balmer/4000-Ĺ spectral breaks. This indicates the presence of old underlying stellar populations that dominate the stellar masses. For these objects, we find ages of ,200,700 Myr, implying formation redshifts of 7 ,zf, 18, and large stellar masses in the range ,1,3 × 1010 M,. Analysis of seven i,-drops that are undetected at 3.6 ,m indicates that these are younger, considerably less massive systems. We calculate that emission line contamination should not severely affect our photometry or derived results. Using SED fits out to 8 ,m, we find little evidence for substantial intrinsic dust reddening in our sources. We use our individual galaxy results to obtain an estimate of the global stellar mass density at z, 6. Correcting for incompleteness in our sample, we find the z, 6 comoving stellar mass density to be 2.5 × 106 M, Mpc,3. This is a lower limit, as post-starburst and dust-obscured objects, and also galaxies below our selection thresholds, are not accounted for. From our results, we are able to explore the star formation histories of our selected galaxies, and we suggest that the past global star formation rate may have been much higher than that observed at the z, 6 epoch. The associated UV flux we infer at z > 7 could have played a major role in reionizing the Universe. [source] The impact of mergers on relaxed X-ray clusters , I. Dynamical evolution and emergent transient structuresMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2006Gregory B. Poole ABSTRACT We report on the analysis of a suite of smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations (incorporating cooling and star formation) of mergers involving idealized X-ray clusters whose initial conditions resemble relaxed clusters with cool compact cores observed by Chandra and XMM. The simulations sample the most-interesting, theoretically plausible, range of impact parameters and progenitor mass ratios. We find that all mergers evolve via a common progression. We illustrate this progression in the projected gas density, X-ray surface brightness, Sunyaev,Zel'dovich, temperature, and gas-entropy maps. Several different classes of transient ,cold front' like features can arise over the course of a merger. Each class is distinguished by a distinct morphological signature and physical cause. We find that all these classes are present in Chandra and XMM observations of merging systems and propose a naming scheme for these features: ,comet-like' tails, bridges, plumes, streams and edges. In none of the cases considered do the initial cool compact cores of the primary and the secondary get destroyed during the course of the mergers. Instead, the two remnant cores eventually combine to form a new core that, depending on the final mass of the remnant, can have a greater cooling efficiency than either of its progenitors. We quantify the evolving morphology of our mergers using centroid variance, power ratios and offset between the X-ray and the projected mass maps. We find that the centroid variance best captures the dynamical state of the cluster. It also provides an excellent indicator of how far the system is from virial and hydrostatic equilibrium. Placing the system at z= 0.1, we find that all easily identified observable traces of the secondary disappear from a simulated 50-ks Chandra image following the second pericentric passage. The system, however, takes an additional ,2 Gyr to relax and virialize. Observationally, the only reliable indicator of a system in this state is the smoothness of its X-ray surface brightness isophotes, not temperature fluctuations. Temperature fluctuations at the level of ,T/T, 20 per cent, can persist in the final systems well past the point of virialization, suggesting that the existence of temperature fluctuations, in and of themselves, does not necessarily indicate a disturbed or unrelaxed system. [source] The SAURON project , VIII.MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2006OASIS/CFHT integral-field spectroscopy of elliptical, lenticular galaxy centres ABSTRACT We present high spatial resolution integral-field spectroscopy of 28 elliptical (E) and lenticular (S0) galaxies from the SAURON representative survey obtained with the OASIS spectrograph during its operation at the Canada,France,Hawaii Telescope. These seeing-limited observations explore the central 8 × 10 arcsec2 (typically 1 kpc diameter) regions of these galaxies using a spatial sampling four times higher than SAURON (0.27-arcsec versus 0.94-arcsec spatial elements), resulting in almost a factor of 2 improvement in the median point spread function. These data allow accurate study of the central regions to complement the large-scale view provided by SAURON. Here we present the stellar and gas kinematics, stellar absorption-line strengths and nebular emission-line strengths for this sample. We also characterize the stellar velocity maps using the ,kinemetry' technique, and derive maps of the luminosity-weighted stellar age, metallicity and abundance ratio via stellar population models. We give a brief review of the structures found in our maps, linking also to larger-scale structures measured with SAURON. We present two previously unreported kinematically decoupled components (KDCs) in the centres of NGC 3032 and NGC 4382. We compare the intrinsic size and luminosity-weighted stellar age of all the visible KDCs in the full SAURON sample, and find two types of components: kiloparsec-scale KDCs, which are older than 8 Gyr, and are found in galaxies with little net rotation; and compact KDCs, which have intrinsic diameters of less than a few hundred parsec, show a range of stellar ages from 0.5 to 15 Gyr (with 5/6 younger than 5 Gyr), are found exclusively in fast-rotating galaxies, and are close to counter-rotating around the same axis as their host. Of the seven galaxies in the SAURON sample with integrated luminosity-weighted ages less than 5 Gyr, five show such compact KDCs, suggesting a link between counter-rotation and recent star formation. We show that this may be due to a combination of small sample size at young ages, and an observational bias, since young KDCs are easier to detect than their older and/or corotating counterparts. [source] The stellar content of the isolated transition dwarf galaxy DDO210,MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2006Alan W. McConnachie ABSTRACT We use Subaru Suprime-Cam and VLT FORS1 photometry of the dwarf galaxy DDO210 to study the global stellar content and structural properties of a transition-type galaxy (with properties intermediate between dwarf irregular and dwarf spheroidal systems). This galaxy is sufficiently isolated that tidal interactions are not likely to have affected its evolution in any way. The colour,magnitude diagrams of DDO210 show a red giant branch (RGB) population (with an RGB bump), a bright asymptotic giant branch population, a red clump, young main-sequence stars and blue-loop stars. The youngest stars formed within the last 60 Myr and have a distinct radial distribution compared to the main population. Whereas the overall stellar spatial distribution and H i spatial distribution are concentric, the young stars are offset from the centre of DDO210 and are coincident with a ,dent' in the H i distribution. The implied recent star formation rate required to form the young population is significantly higher than the derived current star formation rate, by a factor of >10. Most of the stars in DDO210 are found in a red clump, and its mean I -band magnitude suggests that the majority of stars in DDO210 have an average age of 4+2,1 Gyr. Given this age, the colour of the RGB implies a mean metallicity of [Fe/H],,1.3. By comparing the shape of the red clump with models for a variety of star formation histories, we estimate that an old (>10 Gyr) stellar population can contribute ,20,30 per cent of the stars in DDO210 at most. The unusual star formation history of DDO210, its low-mass estimate and its isolated nature, provide insight into how star formation proceeds in the lowest mass, unperturbed, dwarf galaxy haloes. [source] Revisiting two local constraints of the Galactic chemical evolutionMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2006M. Haywood ABSTRACT I review the uncertainties in two observational local constraints of the Galactic disc chemical evolution: the metallicity distribution of long-lived dwarfs and the age,metallicity relation. Analysing most recent data, it is shown first that the observed metallicity distribution at solar galactocentric radius, designed with standard methods, is more fit to a closed-box model than to the infall metallicity distribution. We argue that this is due to the specific contribution of the thick-disc population, which has been overlooked both in the derivation of the observed metallicity distribution and in the standard chemical evolution models. Although this agreement disqualifies the metallicity distribution as the best supportive (indirect) evidence for infall, we argue that the evolution must be more complex than described by either the closed-box or the standard infall models. It is then shown that recent determinations of the age,metallicity distribution (AMD) from large Strömgren photometric surveys are dominated by noise resulting from systematic biases in metallicities and effective temperatures. These biases are evaluated and a new AMD is obtained, where particularities of the previous determinations are phased out. The new age,metallicity relation shows a mean increase limited to about a factor of 2 in Z over the disc age. It is shown that below 3 Gyr, the dispersion in metallicity is about 0.1 dex, which, given the observational uncertainties in the derived metallicities, is compatible with the small cosmic dispersion measured on the interstellar medium and meteoritic pre-solar dust grains. A population that is progressively older and more metal rich arises at a metallicity greater than that of the Hyades, to reach [Fe/H],+0.5 dex at ages greater than 5 Gyr. We suggest that this is best explained by radial migration. A symmetrical widening of the metallicity interval towards lower values is seen at about the same age, which is attributed to a similar cause. Finally, the new derived ages are sufficiently consistent that an age,metallicity relation within the thick disc is confirmed. These new features altogether draw a picture of the chemical evolution in the solar neighbourhood where dynamical effects and complexity in the AMD dominate, rather than a generalized high dispersion at all ages. [source] An extensive study of dynamical friction in dwarf galaxies: the role of stars, dark matter, halo profiles and MONDMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2006F. J. Sánchez-Salcedo ABSTRACT We investigate the in-spiralling time-scales of globular clusters (GCs) in dwarf spheroidal (dSph) and dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies, due to dynamical friction (DF). We address the problem of these time-scales having been variously estimated in the literature as much shorter than a Hubble time. Using self-consistent two-component (dark matter and stars) models, we explore mechanisms which may yield extended DF time-scales in such systems in order to explain why dwarf galaxies often show GC systems. As a general rule, dark matter and stars both give a comparable contribution to the dynamical drag. By exploring various possibilities for their gravitational make-up, it is shown that these studies help to constrain the parameters of the dark matter haloes in these galaxies, as well as to test alternatives to dark matter. Under the assumption of a dark halo having a central density core with a typical King core radius somewhat larger than the observed stellar core radius, DF time-scales are naturally extended upwards of a Hubble time. Cuspy dark haloes yield time-scales ,4.5 Gyr, for any dark halo parameters in accordance with observations of stellar line-of-sight velocity dispersion in dSph galaxies. We confirm, after a detailed formulation of the DF problem under the alternative hypothesis of modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) and in the lack of any dark matter, that due to the enhanced dynamical drag of the stars, the DF time-scales in MOND would be extremely short. Taking the well-measured structural parameters of the Fornax dSph and its GC system as a case study, we conclude that requiring DF time-scales comparable to the Hubble time strongly favours dark haloes with a central core. [source] Integrated-light VRI imaging photometry of globular clusters in the Magellanic CloudsMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2006Paul Goudfrooij ABSTRACT We present accurate integrated-light photometry in Johnson/Cousins V, R and I for a sample of 28 globular clusters in the Magellanic Clouds. The majority of the clusters in our sample have reliable age and metallicity estimates available in the literature. The sample encompasses ages between 50 Myr and 7 Gyr, and metallicities ([Fe/H]) between ,1.5 and 0.0 dex. The sample is dominated by clusters of ages between roughly 0.5 and 2 Gyr, an age range during which the bolometric luminosity of simple stellar populations is dominated by evolved red giant branch stars and thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars whose theoretical colours are rather uncertain. The VRI colours presented in this paper have been used to calibrate stellar population synthesis model predictions. [source] Constraints on Type Ia supernova progenitor time delays from high- z supernovae and the star formation historyMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2006F. Förster ABSTRACT We re-assess the question of a systematic time delay between the formation of the progenitor and its explosion in a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) using the Hubble Higher- z Supernova Search sample. While a previous analysis indicated a significant time delay, with a most likely value of 3.4 Gyr, effectively ruling out all previously proposed progenitor models, our analysis shows that the time-delay estimate is dominated by systematic errors, in particular due to uncertainties in the star formation history (SFH). We find that none of the popular progenitor models under consideration can be ruled out with any significant degree of confidence. The inferred time delay is mainly determined by the peak in the assumed SFH. We show that, even with a much larger supernova sample, the time-delay distribution cannot be reliably reconstructed without better constraints on the SFH. [source] Extracting star formation histories from medium-resolution galaxy spectraMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2006H. Mathis ABSTRACT We adapt an existing data compression algorithm, moped, to the extraction of median-likelihood star formation histories from medium-resolution galaxy spectra. By focusing on the high-pass components of galaxy spectra, we minimize potential uncertainties arising from the spectrophotometric calibration and intrinsic attenuation by dust. We validate our approach using model high-pass spectra of galaxies with different star formation histories covering the wavelength range 3650,8500 Ĺ at a resolving power of ,2000. We show that the method can recover the full star formation histories of these models, without prior knowledge of the metallicity, to within an accuracy that depends sensitively on the signal-to-noise ratio. The investigation of the sensitivity of the flux at each wavelength to the mass fraction of stars of different ages allows us to identify new age-sensitive features in galaxy spectra. We also highlight a fundamental limitation in the recovery of the star formation histories of galaxies for which the optical signatures of intermediate-age stars are masked by those of younger and older stars. As an example of application, we use this method to derive average star formation histories from the highest-quality spectra of typical (in terms of their stellar mass), morphologically identified early- and late-type galaxies in the Early Data Release (EDR) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We find that, in agreement with the common expectation, early-type galaxies must have formed most of their stars over 8 Gyr ago, although a small fraction of the total stellar mass of these galaxies may be accounted for by stars with ages down to 4 Gyr. In contrast, late-type galaxies appear to have formed stars at a roughly constant rate. We also investigate the constraints set by the high-pass signal in the stacked spectra of a magnitude-limited sample of 20 623 SDSS-EDR galaxies on the global star formation history of the Universe and its distribution among galaxies in different mass ranges. We confirm that the stellar populations in the most massive galaxies today appear to have formed on average earlier than those in the least massive galaxies. Our results do not support the recent suggestion of a statistically significant peak in the star formation activity of the Universe at redshifts below unity, although such a peak is not ruled out. [source] | ||||||||||