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arXiv 1410.2247astro-ph.GA
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室女座中心星团内超暗矮星系的发现:第一个小星系的化石?

Discovery of an Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxy in the Intracluster Field of the Virgo Center : A fossil of the First Galaxies?

In Sung Jang, Myung Gyoon Lee

摘要:

超暗矮星系(UFD)是星系中的新成员,是观测到的宇宙中最暗的星系。到目前为止,它们只在银河系和本星系群的M31周围被发现。我们在远离任何大质量星系的室女星系团(室女UFD 1)核心的团内场中发现了一个UFD。这个星系中恒星的色星等图显示了一个狭窄的红巨星分支,类似于银河系中贫金属的球状星团。我们通过比较红巨星分支与等时线来估计它的距离,我们得到的值为16.4 +/- 0.4 Mpc。这表明它确实是室女星系团的一员。根据红巨星的颜色,我们估计它的平均金属丰度非常低,[Fe/H]= -2.4 +/- 0.4。它的V带绝对星等和有效半径分别为M_V = -6.5 +/-0.2和r_eff = 81 +/-7pc,比经典矮球状星系小得多。其中心表面亮度估计低至u_V,0 = 26.37 +/- 0.05 mag arcsec^-2。它的性质类似于本地群类似物。在这个星系中没有发现潮汐特征的证据。考虑到它狭窄的红巨星分支,没有渐近巨星分支星,低金属量和位置,它可能是第一个星系的化石遗迹。

英文摘要:

Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) are newcomers among galaxies, and are the faintest galaxies in the observed universe. To date, they have only been found around the Milky Way Galaxy and M31 in the Local Group. We present the discovery of an UFD in the intracluster field in the core of the Virgo cluster (Virgo UFD1), which is far from any massive galaxies. The color-magnitude diagram of the resolved stars in this galaxy shows a narrow red giant branch, similar to those of metal-poor globular clusters in the Milky Way. We estimate its distance by comparing the red giant branch with isochrones, and we obtain a value 16.4 +/- 0.4 Mpc. This shows that it is indeed a member of the Virgo cluster. From the color of the red giants we estimate its mean metallicity to be very low, [Fe/H]= -2.4 +/- 0.4. Its absolute V-band magnitude and effective radius are derived to be M_V = -6.5 +/- 0.2 and r_eff = 81 +/- 7 pc, much fainter and smaller than the classical dwarf spheroidal galaxies. Its central surface brightness is estimated to be as low as u_V,0 = 26.37 +/- 0.05 mag arcsec^-2. Its properties are similar to those of the Local Group analogs. No evidence of tidal features are found in this galaxy. Considering its narrow red giant branch with no asymptotic giant branch stars, low metallicity, and location, it may be a fossil remnant of the first galaxies.

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