Judith G. Cohen

The Keck low - resolution imaging spectrometer

The Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (LRIS) for the Cassegrain focus of the Keck 10-meter telescope on Mauna Kea is described. It has an imaging mode so it can also be used for taking direct images. The field of view in both spectrographic and imaging modes is 6 by 7.8 arcmin. It can be used with both conventional slits and custom-punched slit masks. The optical quality of the spectrograph is good enough to take full advantage of the excellent imaging properties of the telescope itself. The detector is a cooled back-illuminated Tektronics Inc. 2048 CCD which gives a sampling rate of 4.685 pixels per arcsec. In the spectrographic mode the spectrograph has a maximum efficiency at the peak of the grating blaze of 32-34% for the two lowest resolution gratings and 28% for the 1200 g/mm grating. This efficiency includes the detector but not the telescope or the atmosphere.

The Universal Stellar Mass-Stellar Metallicity Relation for Dwarf Galaxies

We present spectroscopic metallicities of individual stars in seven gas-rich dwarf irregular galaxies (dIrrs), and we show that dIrrs obey the same mass-metallicity relation as the dwarf spheroidal (dSph) satellites of both the Milky Way and M31: Z_* ∝ M_*^(0.30±0.02). The uniformity of the relation is in contradiction to previous estimates of metallicity based on photometry. This relationship is roughly continuous with the stellar mass-stellar metallicity relation for galaxies as massive as M_* = 10^(12) M_☉. Although the average metallicities of dwarf galaxies depend only on stellar mass, the shapes of their metallicity distributions depend on galaxy type. The metallicity distributions of dIrrs resemble simple, leaky box chemical evolution models, whereas dSphs require an additional parameter, such as gas accretion, to explain the shapes of their metallicity distributions. Furthermore, the metallicity distributions of the more luminous dSphs have sharp, metal-rich cut-offs that are consistent with the sudden truncation of star formation due to ram pressure stripping.

Chemical evolution of the Galactic bulge as traced by microlensed dwarf and subgiant stars - V. Evidence for a wide age distribution and a complex MDF

Based on high-resolution spectra obtained during gravitational microlensing events we present a detailed elemental abundance analysis of 32 dwarf and subgiant stars in the Galactic bulge. Combined with the sample of 26 stars from the previous papers in this series, we now have 58 microlensed bulge dwarfs and subgiants that have been homogeneously analysed. The main characteristics of the sample and the findings that can be drawn are: (i) the metallicity distribution (MDF) is wide and spans all metallicities between [Fe/H] = −1.9 to +0.6; (ii) the dip in the MDF around solar metallicity that was apparent in our previous analysis of a smaller sample (26 microlensed stars) is no longer evident; instead it has a complex structure and indications of multiple components are starting to emerge. A tentative interpretation is that there could be different stellar populations at interplay, each with a different scale height: the thin disk, the thick disk, and a bar population; (iii) the stars with [Fe/H] ≲ −0.1 are old with ages between 10 and 12 Gyr; (iv) the metal-rich stars with [Fe/H] ≳ −0.1 show a wide variety of ages, ranging from 2 to 12 Gyr with a distribution that has a dominant peak around 4−5 Gyr and a tail towards higher ages; (v) there are indications in the [α/Fe]−[Fe/H] abundance trends that the “knee” occurs around [Fe/H] = −0.3 to −0.2, which is a slightly higher metallicity as compared to the “knee” for the local thick disk. This suggests that the chemical enrichment of the metal-poor bulge has been somewhat faster than what is observed for the local thick disk. The results from the microlensed bulge dwarf stars in combination with other findings in the literature, in particular the evidence that the bulge has cylindrical rotation, indicate that the Milky Way could be an almost pure disk galaxy. The bulge would then just be a conglomerate of the other Galactic stellar populations (thin disk, thick disk, halo, and ...?), residing together in the central parts of the Galaxy, influenced by the Galactic bar.

Multi-Element Abundance Measurements from Medium-Resolution Spectra. III. Metallicity Distributions of Milky Way Dwarf Satellite Galaxies

We present metallicity distribution functions (MDFs) for the central regions of eight dwarf satellite galaxies of the Milky Way: Fornax, Leo I and II, Sculptor, Sextans, Draco, Canes Venatici I, and Ursa Minor. We use the published catalog of abundance measurements from the previous paper in this series. The measurements are based on spectral synthesis of iron absorption lines. For each MDF, we determine maximum likelihood fits for Leaky Box, Pre-Enriched, and Extra Gas (wherein the gas supply available for star formation increases before it decreases to zero) analytic models of chemical evolution. Although the models are too simplistic to describe any MDF in detail, a Leaky Box starting from zero metallicity gas fits none of the galaxies except Canes Venatici I well. The MDFs of some galaxies, particularly the more luminous ones, strongly prefer the Extra Gas Model to the other models. Only for Canes Venatici I does the Pre-Enriched Model fit significantly better than the Extra Gas Model. The best-fit effective yields of the less luminous half of our galaxy sample do not exceed 0.02 Z� , indicating that gas outflow is important in the chemical evolution of the less luminous galaxies. We surmise that the ratio of the importance of gas infall to gas outflow increases with galaxy luminosity. Strong correlations of average [Fe/H] and metallicity spread with luminosity support this hypothesis.

The O II Luminosity Density of the Universe

Equivalent widths of [OII] 3727 A lines are measured in 375 faint galaxy spectra taken as part of the Caltech Faint Galaxy Redshift Survey centered on the Hubble Deep Field. The sensitivity of the survey spectra to the [OII] line is computed as a function of magnitude, color and redshift. The luminosity function of galaxies in the [OII] line and the integrated luminosity density of the Universe in the [OII] line are computed as a function of redshift. It is found that the luminosity density in the [OII] line was a factor of ~10 higher at redshifts z~1 than it is at the present day. The simplest interpretation is that the star formation rate density of the Universe has declined dramatically since z~1.

The Ages and Abundances of a Large Sample of M87 Globular Clusters

A subset of 150 globular clusters (GCs) in M87 has been selected for abundance and age determinations from the 1997 sample of Cohen & Ryzhov. This has been done solely on the basis of the signal-to-noise ratios of the spectra. Indices that measure the strength of the strongest spectral features were determined for the M87 GCs and from new data for twelve galactic GCs. Combining the new and existing data for the galactic GCs and comparing the (U-R) colors and the line indices gave qualitative indications for the ages and abundances of the M87 GC system. Quantitative results, which confirm and extend the qualitative ones, were obtained by applying the Worthey models for the integrated light of stellar systems of a single age, calibrated by observations of galactic globular clusters, to deduce abundances and ages for the objects in our sample. We find that the M87 GCs span a wide range in metallicity, from very metal-poor to somewhat above solar metallicity. The mean [Fe/H] of -0.95 dex is higher than that of the galactic GC system, and there is a metal-rich tail that reaches to higher [Fe/H] than one finds among the galactic GCs. Excluding the very metal-rich tail, there is marginal evidence for a bimodal distribution over the single one at the 89% significance level. The two subpopulations in this model are located at -1.3 and -0.7 dex and contain 40% and 60% of the total, respectively. The dispersion in [Fe/H] for each of the model subpopulations is σ = 0.3 dex. The mean metallicity of the M87 GC system is about a factor of 4 lower than that of the M87 stellar halo at a fixed projected radius R. The metallicity inferred from the X-ray studies is similar to that of the M87 stellar halo, not to that of the M87 GC system. We infer the relative abundances of Na, Mg, and Fe in the M87 GCs from the strength of their spectral features. The behavior of these elements between the metal-rich and metal-poor M87 GCs is similar to that shown by the galactic GCs and by halo stars in the Galaxy. The pattern of chemical evolution in these disparate old stellar systems is, as far as we can tell, identical. Superposed on a very large dispersion in abundance at all R, there is a small but real radial gradient in the mean abundance of the M87 GCs with R, but no detectable change in the Hβ index with R. We obtain a median age for the M87 GC system of 13 Gyr, similar to that found for the galactic GCs. The dispersion about that value (σ = 2 Gyr) is small.

Abundances in a Large Sample of Stars in M3 and M13

We have carried out a detailed abundance analysis for 21 elements in a sample of 25 stars with a wide range in luminosity from luminous giants to stars near the main-sequence turnoff in the globular cluster M13 ([Fe/H] = -1.50 dex) and in a sample of 13 stars distributed from the tip to the base of the red giant branch (RGB) in the globular cluster M3 ([Fe/H] = -1.39 dex). The analyzed spectra, obtained with HIRES at the Keck Observatory, are of high dispersion (R = ?/?? = 35,000). Most elements, including Fe, show no trend with Teff and low scatter around the mean between the top of the RGB and near the main-sequence turnoff, suggesting that at this metallicity, non-LTE effects and gravitationally induced heavy-element diffusion are not important for this set of elements over the range of stellar parameters spanned by our sample. We have detected an anticorrelation between O and Na abundances, observed previously among the most luminous RGB stars in both of these clusters, in both M3 and in M13 over the full range of luminosity of our samples, i.e., in the case of M13 to near the main-sequence turnoff. M13 shows a larger range in both O and Na abundance than does M3 at all luminosities, in particular having a few stars at its RGB tip with unusually strongly depleted O. We detect a correlation between Mg abundance and O abundance among the stars in the M13 sample. We also find a decrease in the mean Mg abundance as one moves toward lower luminosity, which we tentatively suggest is due to our ignoring non-LTE effects in Mg. Although CN burning must be occurring in both M3 and in M13, and ON burning is required for M13, we combine our new O abundances with published C and N abundances to confirm with quite high precision that the sum of C+N+O is constant near the tip of the giant branch, and we extend this down to the bump in the luminosity function. The same holds true for a smaller sample in M3, with somewhat larger variance. Star I-5 in M13 has large excesses of Y and of Ba, with no strong enhancement of Eu, suggesting that an s-process event contributed to its heavy-element abundances. The mean abundance ratios for M3 and for M13 are identical to within the errors. They show the typical pattern for metal-poor globular clusters of scatter among the light elements, with the odd atomic number elements appearing in the mean enhanced. The Fe-peak elements, where the odd atomic number elements are excessively depleted, do not show any detectable star-to-star variations in either cluster. The abundance ratios for 13 Galactic globular clusters with recent detailed abundance analyses, obtained by combining our samples with published data, are compared with those of published large surveys of metal-poor halo field stars. For most elements, the agreement is very good, suggesting a common chemical history for the halo field and cluster stars.

Abundances in Stars from the Red Giant Branch Tip to Near the Main-Sequence Turnoff in M71. III. Abundance Ratios*

We present [Fe/H] abundance results that involve a sample of stars with a wide range in luminosity, from luminous giants to stars near the turnoff in a globular cluster. Our sample of 25 stars in M71 includes 10 giant stars more luminous than the RHB, three horizontal branch stars, nine giant stars less luminous than the RHB, and three stars near the turnoff. We analyzed both Fe I and Fe II lines in high-dispersion spectra observed with HIRES at the W. M. Keck Observatory. We find that the [Fe/H] abundances from both Fe I and Fe II lines agree with each other and with earlier determinations. Also the [Fe/H] obtained from Fe I and Fe II lines is constant within the rather small uncertainties for this group of stars over the full range in Teff and luminosity, suggesting that non-LTE effects are negligible in our iron abundance determination. In this globular cluster, there is no difference among the mean [Fe/H] of giant stars located at or above the RHB, RHB stars, giant stars located below the RHB and stars near the turnoff.

Dynamics of the Globular Cluster System Associated with M49 (NGC 4472): Cluster Orbital Properties and the Distribution of Dark Matter*

Using the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer on the Keck I and II telescopes, we have measured radial velocities for 196 globular clusters (GCs) around M49 (NGC 4472), the brightest member of the Virgo Cluster. Combined with published data, they bring the total number of GCs with measured radial velocities in this galaxy to 263. In terms of sample size, spatial coverage, velocity precision, and the availability of metallicity estimates from Washington photometry, this radial velocity database resembles that presented recently for M87 (NGC 4486), Virgos cD galaxy and its second-ranked member. We extract the projected kinematics of the full sample of GCs and of separate subsamples of 158 metal-poor and 105 metal-rich GCs. In agreement with previous results for the global GC kinematics based on smaller data sets, we find that the GC system as a whole exhibits a slow overall rotation that is due almost entirely to a net rotation of the metal-poor GC subsystem alone. In a spatial average, the metal-rich GCs show essentially no rotation. As a function of galactocentric position, the metal-poor GCs rotate roughly about the photometric minor axis of M49 and at an approximately constant level of ΩR ~ 100-150 km s-1 out to R 2Reff. The metal-rich GC system shows some evidence (at roughly 1 σ significance) for weak rotation (ΩR ~ 50 km s-1) beyond R 0.5Reff, also about the galaxys minor axis, but in the opposite direction from the metal-poor GCs. Outside of R ~ Reff, the line-of-sight velocity dispersion of the metal-poor GCs exceeds that of their metal-rich counterparts by ~50%. We also note the presence of a well-defined grouping of 10 metal-rich GCs that are located at opposite poles along the galaxys major axis and that appear to be rotating at nearly 300 km s-1 about the minor axis. This grouping may be the relic of a past merger or accretion event. The dynamics of the GC system is modeled by using published catalogs and number counts to define three-dimensional GC density distributions as input to a Jeans equation analysis. We show that the GC radial velocities alone point unequivocally, and independently of X-ray observations, to the need for a massive dark halo associated with M49 and the Virgo B subcluster around it. We then use a mass model for M49/Virgo B, constructed without reference to any GC data and described in detail in a forthcoming paper, to infer the orbital properties of the M49 globulars. The GC system as a whole is shown to be consistent with an almost perfectly isotropic velocity ellipsoid. It is more difficult to draw any firm conclusions on the orbital (an)isotropy of the two metallicity subsamples, as a result of the large uncertainties in their individual spatial density profiles and the poorly observationally defined kinematics of the metal-rich GCs in particular. After M87, M49 is the second elliptical galaxy for which we have been able to demonstrate velocity isotropy in the GC system overall, when no division based on GC color or metallicity is attempted. Thus, the data for these two galaxies lend support to the general assumption of isotropy when using GC kinematics to study the dark matter distribution in early-type galaxies. We also compare the kinematic properties of the GC system of M49 to those of M87, M31, and the Milky Way, the other galaxies for which samples of 100 or more GC velocities have been accumulated. We argue that, contrary to the traditional view of GCs as nonrotating, or slowly rotating, systems, rotation may in fact be a common by-product of the formation of GC systems. However, the quantitative details of the rotation are still not clear, particularly with regard to the question of possible differences between metal-poor and metal-rich globulars.

Abundances In Very Metal-Poor Dwarf Stars*

We discuss the detailed composition of 28 extremely metal-poor (EMP) dwarfs, 22 of which are from the Hamburg/ESO Survey (HES), based on Keck echelle spectra. Our sample has a median [Fe/H] of -2.7 dex, extends to -3.5 dex, and is somewhat less metal-poor than was expected from [Fe/H](HK, HES) determined from low-resolution spectra. Our analysis supports the existence of a sharp decline in the distribution of halo stars with metallicity below [Fe/H] = -3.0 dex. So far no additional turnoff stars with [Fe/H] < -3.5 have been identified in our follow-up efforts. For the best-observed elements between Mg and Ni, we find that the abundance ratios appear to have reached a plateau, i.e., [X/Fe] is approximately constant as a function of [Fe/H], except for Cr, Mn, and Co, which show trends of abundance ratios varying with [Fe/H]. These abundance ratios at low metallicity correspond approximately to the yield expected from Type II supernovae (SNe) with a narrow range in mass and explosion parameters; high-mass Type II SN progenitors are required. The dispersion of [X/Fe] about this plateau level is surprisingly small and is still dominated by measurement errors rather than intrinsic scatter. These results place strong constraints on the characteristics of the contributing SNe. The dispersion in neutron-capture elements and the abundance trends for Cr, Mn, and Co are consistent with previous studies of evolved EMP stars. We find halo-like enhancements for the α-elements Mg, Ca, and Ti, but solar Si/Fe ratios for these dwarfs. This contrasts with studies of EMP giant stars, which show Si enhancements similar to other α-elements. Sc/Fe is another case where the results from EMP dwarfs and from EMP giants disagree; our Sc/Fe ratios are enhanced compared to the solar value by ~0.2 dex. Although this conflicts with the solar Sc/Fe values seen in EMP giants, we note that α-like Sc/Fe ratios have been claimed for dwarfs at higher metallicity. Two dwarfs in the sample are carbon stars, while two others have significant C enhancements, all with 12C/13C ~7 and with C/N between 10 and 150. Three of these C-rich stars have large enhancements of the heavy neutron capture elements, including lead, which implies a strong s-process contribution, presumably from binary mass transfer; the fourth shows no excess of Sr or Ba.