Noriyuki Matsunaga

INTERSTELLAR EXTINCTION LAW IN THE J, H, AND Ks BANDS TOWARD THE GALACTIC CENTER

We have determined the ratios of total to selective extinction in the near-infrared bands (J,H,Ks) toward the Galactic center from the observations of the region l 20 and 05 b 10 with the IRSF telescope and the SIRIUS camera. Using the positions of red clump stars in color-magnitude diagrams as a tracer of the extinction and reddening, we determine the average of the ratios of total to selective extinction to be A/E = 1.44 ± 0.01, A/E = 0.494 ± 0.006, and AH/EJ-H = 1.42 ± 0.02, which are significantly smaller than those obtained in previous studies. From these ratios, we estimate that AJ : AH : A = 1 : 0.573 ± 0.009 : 0.331 ± 0.004 and EJ-H/E = 1.72 ± 0.04, and we find that the power law Aλ ∝ λ-1.99±0.02 is a good approximation over these wavelengths. Moreover, we find a small variation in A/E across our survey. This suggests that the infrared extinction law changes from one line of sight to another, and the so-called universality does not necessarily hold in the infrared wavelengths.

Variable stars in the Magellanic Clouds: results from OGLE and SIRIUS

We have performed a cross-identification between Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment II (OGLE-II) data and single-epoch Simultaneous three-colour Infrared Imager for Unbiased Surveys (SIRIUS) near-infrared (NIR) JHK survey data in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC, respectively). After eliminating obvious spurious variables, variables with too few good data and variables that seem to have periods longer than the available baseline of the OGLE-II data, we determined the pulsation periods for 8852 and 2927 variables in the LMC and SMC, respectively. Based on these homogeneous data, we studied the pulsation properties and metallicity effects on period–K magnitude (PK) relations by comparing the variable stars in the LMC and SMC. The sample analysed here is much larger than the previous studies, and we found the following new features in the PK diagram. (1) Variable red giants in the SMC form parallel sequences on the PK plane, just like those found by Wood in the LMC. (2) Both sequences A and B of Wood have discontinuities, and they occur at the K-band luminosity of the tip of the red giant branch. (3) The sequence B of Wood separates into three independent sequences B± and C′. (4) A comparison between the theoretical pulsation models and observational data suggests that the variable red giants on sequences C and newly discovered C′ are pulsating in the fundamental and first overtone modes, respectively. (5) The theory cannot explain the pulsation mode of sequences A± and B±, and they are unlikely to be the sequences for the first and second overtone pulsators, as was previously suggested. (6) The zero-points of PK relations of Cepheids in the metal deficient SMC are fainter than those of the LMC by ≈0.1 mag but those of SMC Miras are brighter than those of the LMC by ≈0.13 mag (adopting the distance modulus offset between the LMC and SMC to be 0.49 mag and assuming the slopes of the PK relations are the same in the two galaxies), which are probably due to metallicity effects.

A Distinct Structure inside the Galactic Bar

We present the result of a near-infrared (JHKs) survey along the Galactic plane, -105 ≤ l ≤ 105 and b = +1°, with the IRSF 1.4 m telescope and the SIRIUS camera. Ks versus H - Ks color-magnitude diagrams reveal a well-defined population of red clump stars whose apparent magnitude peak changes continuously along the Galactic plane, from Ks = 13.4 at l = -10° to Ks = 12.2 at l = 10° after dereddening. This variation can be explained by the barlike structure found in previous studies, but we find an additional inner structure at l 4°, where the longitude-apparent magnitude relation is distinct from the outer bar and where the apparent magnitude peak changes by only ≈0.1 mag over the central 8°. The exact nature of this inner structure is as yet uncertain.

On the fine structure of the Cepheid metallicity gradient in the Galactic thin disk

We present homogeneous and accurate iron abundances for 42 Galactic Cepheids based on high resolution (R ~ 38 000) high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N ≥ 100) optical spectra collected with UVES at VLT (128 spectra). The above abundances were complemented with high-quality iron abundances provided either by our group (86) or available in the literature. We were careful to derive a common metallicity scale and ended up with a sample of 450 Cepheids. We also estimated accurate individual distances for the entire sample by using homogeneous near-infrared photometry and the reddening free period-Wesenheit relations. The new metallicity gradient is linear over a broad range of Galactocentric distances (RG ~ 5-19 kpc) and agrees quite well with similar estimates available in the literature (-0.060 ± 0.002 dex/kpc). We also uncover evidence that suggests that the residuals of the metallicity gradient are tightly correlated with candidate Cepheid groups (CGs). The candidate CGs have been identified as spatial overdensities of Cepheids located across the thin disk. They account for a significant fraction of the residual fluctuations, and also for the large intrinsic dispersion of the metallicity gradient. We performed a detailed comparison with metallicity gradients based on different tracers: OB stars and open clusters. We found very similar metallicity gradients for ages younger than 3 Gyr, while for older ages we found a shallower slope and an increase in the intrinsic spread. The above findings rely on homogeneous age, metallicity, and distance scales. Finally, by using a large sample of Galactic and Magellanic Cepheids for which accurate iron abundances are available, we found that the dependence of the luminosity amplitude on metallicity is vanishing.

A near-infrared survey of Miras and the distance to the Galactic Centre

We report the results of a near-infrared survey for long-period variables in a field of view of 20 arcmin by 30 arcmin towards the Galactic Centre (GC). We have detected 1364 variables, of which 348 are identified with those reported in Glass et al. (2001). We present a catalogue and photometric measurements for the detected variables and discuss their nature. We also establish a method for the simultaneous estimation of distances and extinctions using the period-luminosity relations for the JHKs bands. Our method is applicable to Miras with periods in the range 100--350 d and mean magnitudes available in two or more filter bands. While J-band means are often unavailable for our objects because of the large extinction, we estimated distances and extinctions for 143 Miras whose H- and Ks-band mean magnitudes are obtained. We find that most are located at the same distance to within our accuracy. Assuming that the barycentre of these Miras corresponds to the GC, we estimate its distance modulus to be 14.58+-0.02(stat.)+-0.11(syst.) mag, corresponding to 8.24+-0.08(stat.)+-0.42(syst.) kpc. We have assumed the distance modulus to the LMC to be 18.45 mag, and the uncertainty in this quantity is included in the systematic error above. We also discuss the large and highly variable extinction. Its value ranges from 1.5 mag to larger than 4 mag in A(Ks) except towards the thicker dark nebulae and it varies in a complicated way with the line of sight. We have identified mid-infrared counterparts in the Spitzer/IRAC catalogue of Ramirez et al. (2008) for most of our variables and find that they follow rather narrow period-luminosity relations in the 3.6 to 8.0 micrometre wavelength range.

Variable stars in the Magellanic Clouds – II. The data and infrared properties

The data of 8852 and 2927 variable stars detected by the OGLE survey in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are presented. They are cross-identified with the SIRIUS JHK survey data, and their infrared properties are discussed. Variable red giants are well separated on the period-(J - K) plane, suggesting that it could be a good tool to distinguish their pulsation mode and type.

Asymptotic giant branch stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy

We report on a multi-epoch study of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy, made with the Infrared Survey Facility, over an area of about 42 × 42 arcmin 2 . The colour–magnitude diagram shows a broad well-populated giant branch with a tip that slopes downwards from red to blue, as might be expected given Fornax’s known range of age and metallicity. The extensive asymptotic giant branch (AGB) includes seven Mira variables and 10 periodic semiregular variables. Five of the seven Miras are known to be carbon rich. Their pulsation periods range from 215 to 470 d, indicating a range of initial masses. Three of the Fornax Miras are redder than typical Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) Miras of similar period, probably indicating particularly heavy mass-loss rates. Many, but not all, of the characteristics of the AGB are reproduced by isochrones from Marigo et al. for a 2 Gyr population with a metallicity of Z = 0.0025. An application of the Mira period–luminosity relation to these stars yields a distance modulus for Fornax of 20.69 ± 0.04 (internal), ±0.08 (total) (on a scale that puts the LMC at 18.39 mag) in good agreement with other determinations. Various estimates of the distance to Fornax are reviewed.

Galactic abundance gradients from Cepheids: α and heavy elements in the outer disk

Context. Galactic abundance gradients set strong constraints to chemo-dynamical evolutionary models of the Milky Way. Given the period-luminosity relations that provide accurate distances and the large number of spectral lines, Cepheids are excellent tracers of the present-day abundance gradients. Aims. We want to measure the Galactic abundance gradient of several chemical elements. While the slope of the Cepheid iron gradient did not vary much from the very first studies, the gradients of the other elements are not that well constrained. In this paper we focus on the inner and outer regions of the Galactic thin disk. Methods. We use high-resolution spectra (FEROS, ESPADONS, NARVAL) to measure the abundances of several light (Na, Al), α (Mg, Si, S, Ca), and heavy elements (Y, Zr, La, Ce, Nd, Eu) in a sample of 65 Milky Way Cepheids. Combining these results with accurate distances from period-Wesenheit relations in the near-infrared enables us to determine the abundance gradients in the Milky Way. Results. Our results are in good agreement with previous studies on either Cepheids or other tracers. In particular, we confirm an upward shift of ≈0.2 dex for the Mg abundances, as has recently been reported. We also confirm the existence of a gradient for all the heavy elements studied in the context of a local thermodynamic equilibrium analysis. However, for Y, Nd, and especially La, we find lower abundances for Cepheids in the outer disk than reported in previous studies, leading to steeper gradients. This effect can be explained by the differences in the line lists used by different groups. Conclusions. Our data do not support a flattening of the gradients in the outer disk, in agreement with recent Cepheid studies and chemo-dynamical simulations. This is in contrast to the open cluster observations but remains compatible with a picture where the transition zone between the inner disk and the outer disk would move outward with time.

Three classical Cepheid variable stars in the nuclear bulge of the Milky Way

The nuclear bulge is a region with a radius of about 200 parsecs around the centre of the Milky Way. It contains stars with ages ranging from a few million years to over a billion years, yet its star-formation history and the triggering process for star formation remain to be resolved. Recently, episodic star formation, powered by changes in the gas content, has been suggested. Classical Cepheid variable stars have pulsation periods that decrease with increasing age, so it is possible to probe the star-formation history on the basis of the distribution of their periods. Here we report the presence of three classical Cepheids in the nuclear bulge with pulsation periods of approximately 20 days, within 40 parsecs (projected distance) of the central black hole. No Cepheids with longer or shorter periods were found. We infer that there was a period about 25 million years ago, and possibly lasting until recently, in which star formation increased relative to the period of 30–70 million years ago.

Rusty Old Stars: A Source of the Missing Interstellar Iron?

Iron, the universe’s most abundant refractory element, is highly depleted in both circumstellar and interstellar environments, meaning it exists in solid form. The nature of this solid is unknown. In this Letter, we provide evidence that metallic iron grains are present around oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch stars, where it is observationally manifest as a featureless mid-infrared excess. This identification is made using Spitzer Space Telescope observations of evolved globular cluster stars, where iron dust production appears ubiquitous and in some cases can be modeled as the only observed dust product. In this context, FeO is examined as the likely carrier for the 20 μm feature observed in some of these stars. Metallic iron appears to be an important part of the dust condensation sequence at low metallicity, and subsequently plays an influential role in the interstellar medium. We explore the stellar metallicities and luminosities at which iron formation is observed, and how the presence of iron affects the outflow and its chemistry. The conditions under which iron can provide sufficient opacity to drive a wind remain unclear.