Ed Smith

Evidence for a Significant Intermediate-Age Population in the M31 Halo from Main Sequence Photometry

We present a color-magnitude diagram (CMD) for a minor-axis field in the halo of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), 51 (11 kpc) from the nucleus. These observations, taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope, are the deepest optical images yet obtained, attaining 50% completeness at mV = 30.7 mag. The CMD, constructed from ~3 × 105 stars, reaches more than 1.5 mag fainter than the old main-sequence turnoff. Our analysis is based on direct comparisons to ACS observations of four globular clusters through the same filters, as well as χ2 fitting to a finely spaced grid of calibrated stellar-population models. We find that the M31 halo contains a major (~30% by mass) intermediate-age (6-8 Gyr) metal-rich ([Fe/H] > -0.5) population, as well as a significant globular cluster age (11-13.5 Gyr) metal-poor population. These findings support the idea that galaxy mergers played an important role in the formation of the M31 halo.

RR Lyrae Stars in the Andromeda Halo from Deep Imaging with the Advanced Camera for Surveys

We present a complete census of RR Lyrae stars in a halo field of the Andromeda galaxy. These deep observations, taken as part of a program to measure the star formation history in the halo, spanned a period of 41 days with sampling on a variety of timescales, enabling the identification of short- and long-period variables. Although the long-period variables cannot be fully characterized within the time span of this program, the enormous advance in sensitivity provided by the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope allows accurate characterization of the RR Lyrae population in this field. We find 29 RRab stars with a mean period of 0.594 days, 25 RRc stars with a mean period of 0.316 days, and one RRd star with a fundamental period of 0.473 days and a first-overtone period of 0.353 days. These 55 RR Lyrae stars imply a specific frequency SRR ≈ 5.6, which is large given the high mean metallicity of the halo, but not surprising given that these stars arise from the old, metal-poor tail of the distribution. This old population in the Andromeda halo cannot be clearly placed into one of the Oosterhoff types: the ratio of RRc/RRabc stars is within the range seen in Oosterhoff II globular clusters, the mean RRab period is in the gap between Oosterhoff types, and the mean RRc period is in the range seen in Oosterhoff I globular clusters. The periods of these RR Lyrae stars suggest a mean metallicity of [Fe/H] ≈ -1.6, while their brightness implies a distance modulus to Andromeda of 24.5 ± 0.1, in good agreement with the Cepheid distance.

THE DEARTH OF UV-BRIGHT STARS IN M32 : IMPLICATIONS FOR STELLAR EVOLUTION THEORY

Using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope, we have obtained deep, far-ultraviolet images of the compact elliptical galaxy M32. When combined with earlier near-ultraviolet images of the same field, these data enable the construction of an ultraviolet color-magnitude diagram of the hot horizontal branch (HB) population and other hot stars in late phases of stellar evolution. We find few post-asymptotic giant branch (PAGB) stars in the galaxy, implying that these stars either cross the H-R diagram more rapidly than expected, and/or that they spend a significant fraction of their time enshrouded in circumstellar material. The predicted luminosity gap between the hot HB and its AGB-manque (AGBM) progeny is less pronounced than expected, especially when compared to evolutionary tracks with enhanced helium abundances, implying that the presence of hot HB stars in this metal-rich population is not due to Δ Y/Δ Z 4. Only a small fraction (~2%) of the HB population is hot enough to produce significant UV emission, yet most of the UV emission in this galaxy comes from the hot HB and AGBM stars, implying that PAGB stars are not a significant source of UV emission, even in those elliptical galaxies with a weak UV excess.

The Extended Star Formation History of the Andromeda Spheroid at 35 kpc on the Minor Axis

Using the HST ACS, we have obtained deep optical images reaching well below the oldest main-sequence turnoff in fields on the southeast minor axis of the Andromeda galaxy, 35 kpc from the nucleus. These data probe the star formation history in the extended halo of Andromeda—that region beyond 30 kpc that appears both chemically and morphologically distinct from the metal-rich, highly disturbed inner spheroid. The present data, together with our previous data for fields at 11 and 21 kpc, do not show a simple trend toward older ages and lower metallicities, as one might expect for populations further removed from the obvious disturbances of the inner spheroid. Specifically, at 11, 21, and 35 kpc, the mean ages are 9.7, 11.0, and 10.5 Gyr, respectively, and the mean [Fe/H] values are –0.65, –0.87, and –0.98, respectively. In the best-fit model of the 35 kpc population, one-third of the stars are younger than 10 Gyr, whereas only ~10% of the stars are truly ancient and metal-poor. The extended halo thus exhibits clear evidence of its hierarchical assembly, and the contribution from any classical halo formed via early monolithic collapse must be small.

The Extended Star Formation History of the Andromeda Spheroid at Twenty One Kiloparsecs on the Minor Axis

Using the HST ACS, we have obtained deep optical images of a southeast minor-axis field in the Andromeda Galaxy, 21 kpc from the nucleus. In both star counts and metallicity, this field represents a transition zone between the metal-rich, highly-disturbed inner spheroid that dominates within 15 kpc and the metal-poor, diffuse population that dominates beyond 30 kpc. The color-magnitude diagram reaches well below the oldest main-sequence turnoff in the population, allowing a reconstruction of the star formation history in this field. Compared to the spheroid population at 11 kpc, the population at 21 kpc is ~1.3 Gyr older and ~0.2 dex more metal-poor, on average. However, like the population at 11 kpc, the population at 21 kpc exhibits an extended star formation history; one third of the stars are younger than 10 Gyr, although only a few percent are younger than 8 Gyr. The relatively wide range of metallicity and age is inconsistent with a single, rapid star-formation episode, and instead suggests that the spheroid even at 21 kpc is dominated by the debris of earlier merging events likely occurring more than 8 Gyr ago.

Age Constraints for an M31 Globular Cluster from Main-Sequence Photometry

We present a color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of the globular cluster SKHB 312 in the Andromeda galaxy (M31), obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope. The cluster was included in deep observations taken to measure the star formation history of the M31 halo. Overcoming a very crowded field, our photometry of SKHB 312 reaches mV ≈ 30.5 mag, more than 1 mag below the main-sequence turnoff. These are the first observations to allow a direct age estimate from the turnoff in an old M31 cluster. We analyze its CMD and luminosity function using a finely spaced grid of isochrones that have been calibrated using observations of Galactic clusters taken with the same camera and filters. The luminosity difference between the subgiant and horizontal branches is ≈0.2 mag smaller in SKHB 312 than in the Galactic clusters 47 Tuc and NGC 5927, implying that SKHB 312 is 2-3 Gyr younger. A quantitative comparison to isochrones yields an age of 10 Gyr.

STELLAR CLUSTER FIDUCIAL SEQUENCES WITH THE ADVANCED CAMERA FOR SURVEYS

We present color-magnitude diagrams of five Galactic globular clusters and one Galactic open cluster spanning a wide range of metallicity (-2.1 [Fe/H] +0.3), as observed in the F606W (broad V) and F814W (I) bands with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. These clusters are part of two large ACS programs measuring the star formation history in the Andromeda halo, tidal stream, and outer disk. In these programs, the clusters serve as empirical isochrones and as calibrators for the transformation of theoretical isochrones to the ACS bandpasses. To make these data more accessible to the community, for each cluster we provide a ridgeline tracing the stars on the main sequence, subgiant branch, and red giant branch, plus the locus of stars on the horizontal branch. In addition, we provide the transformation of the Victoria-Regina isochrones to the ACS bandpasses.

Deep photometry of Andromeda reveals striking similarities in the tidal stream and spheroid populations

We present a color-magnitude diagram (CMD) for a field in the giant tidal stream of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). These observations, taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope, are 50% complete at V ? 30 mag, reaching 1 mag below the oldest main-sequence turnoff. Striking similarities between the stream and a previous spheroid CMD imply that they have very similar age and metallicity distributions, but present something of an enigma; we speculate on possible interpretations of this result, but we note that none are without problems. Distinct multiple turnoffs, as might be expected from pulses of star formation caused by interaction with Andromeda, are not apparent in the stream CMD. Star formation in both fields lasted about 6 billion years, building up to relatively high metallicities and being largely complete 6 billion years ago. The close similarity of the spheroid and stream suggests that both may have derived from the same event; it would be worth exploring to what extent stars in these structures are the remnants of a disk galaxy that interacted with M31 or even were disrupted from the M31 disk itself by the interaction.

HST/ACS Observations of RR Lyrae Stars in Six Ultra-Deep Fields of M31

We present HST/ACS observations of RR Lyrae variable stars in six ultra-deep fields of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), including parts of the halo, disk, and giant stellar stream. Past work on the RR Lyrae stars in M31 has focused on various aspects of the stellar populations that make up the galaxys halo, including their distances and metallicities. This study builds upon this previous work by increasing the spatial coverage (something that has been lacking in previous studies) and by searching for these variable stars in constituents of the galaxy not yet explored. Besides the 55 RR Lyrae stars we found in our initial field located 11xa0kpc from the galactic nucleus, we find additional RR Lyrae stars in four of the remaining five ultra-deep fields as follows: 21 in the disk, 24 in the giant stellar stream, three in the halo field 21xa0kpc from the galactic nucleus, and five in one of the halo fields at 35xa0kpc. No RR Lyrae stars were found in the second halo field at 35xa0kpc. The RR Lyrae populations of these fields appear to be mostly of Oosterhoff I type, although the 11xa0kpc field appears to be intermediate or mixed. We will discuss the properties of these stars including period and reddening distributions. We calculate metallicities and distances for the stars in each of these fields using different methods and compare the results, to an extent that has not yet been done. We compare these methods not just on RR Lyrae stars in our M31 fields, but also on a data set of Milky Way field RR Lyrae stars.

Deep Optical Photometry of Six Fields in the Andromeda Galaxy

Using the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope, we have obtained deep optical images reaching well below the oldest main-sequence turnoff in six fields of the Andromeda Galaxy. The fields fall at four positions on the southeast minor axis, one position in the giant stellar stream, and one position on the northeast major axis. These data were obtained as part of three large observing programs designed to probe the star formation history of the stellar population in various structures of the galaxy. In this paper, we present the images, catalogs, and artificial star tests for these observing programs as a supplement to the analyses published previously. These high-level science products are also archived at the Multimission Archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute.