The nucleosynthetic site of the rapid ($r$) neutron-capture process is currently being debated. The direct detection of the neutron star merger GW170817, through gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation, has confirmed such events as important sources of the $r$-process elements. However, chemical evolution models are not able to reproduce the observed chemical abundances in the Milky Way when neutron star mergers are assumed to be the only $r$-process site and realistic time distributions of such events are taken into account. Now for the first time, we combine all the available observational evidence of the Milky Way and its dwarf galaxy satellites to show that the data can only be explained if there are (at least) two distinct $r$-process sites: a quick source with timescales comparable to core-collapse supernovae, $t_{quick}\lesssim10^8$ yr, and a delayed source with characteristic timescales $t_{delayed}\gtrsim4$ Gyr. The delayed $r$-process source most probably originates in neutron star mergers, as the timescale fits well with that estimated for GW170817. Given the short timescales of the quick source, it is likely associated with massive stars, though a specific fast-track channel for compact object mergers cannot be excluded at this point. Our approach demonstrates that only by looking at all the available data will we be able to solve the puzzle that is the $r$-process.
We model the stellar abundances and ages of two disrupted dwarf galaxies in the Milky Way stellar halo: Gaia-Sausage Enceladus (GSE) and Wukong/LMS-1. Using a statistically robust likelihood function, we fit one-zone models of galactic chemical evolution with exponential infall histories to both systems, deriving e-folding timescales of $τ_\text{in} = 1.01 \pm 0.13$ Gyr for GSE and $τ_\text{in} = 3.08^{+3.19}_{-1.16}$ Gyr for Wukong/LMS-1. GSE formed stars for $τ_\text{tot} = 5.40^{+0.32}_{-0.31}$ Gyr, sustaining star formation for $\sim$$1.5 - 2$ Gyr after its first infall into the Milky Way …
Towards Galactic Archaeology with Inferred Ages of Giant Stars From Gaia Spectra
Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London（穆拉德空间科学实验室，伦敦大学学院）；National Astronomical Observatory of Japan（日本国立天文台）；Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics & Cosmology (KIPAC), Stanford University（卡弗里粒子天体物理与宇宙学研究所（KIPAC），斯坦福大学）；Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University（天文与天体物理研究学院，澳大利亚国立大学）；School of Computing, Australian National University（计算机学院，澳大利亚国立大学）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London（物理与天文学系，伦敦大学学院）；Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universita´ degli Studi di Bologna（物理与天文学系，博洛尼亚大学）；INAF – Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio（意大利国家天体物理研究所-空间天体物理与科学观测站）
The first supernovae enrich the previously pristine gas with metals, out of which the next generation of stars form. Based on hydrodynamical simulations, we develop a new stochastic model to predict the metallicity of star-forming gas in the first galaxies. On average, in internally enriched galaxies, the metals are well mixed with the pristine gas. However, in externally enriched galaxies, the metals can not easily penetrate into the dense gas, which yields a significant metallicity difference between the star-forming and average gas inside a halo. To study the consequences of this effect, we…
With the wealth of information from large surveys and observational campaigns in the contemporary era, it is critical to properly exploit the data to constrain the parameters of Galactic chemical evolution models and quantify the associated uncertainties. We aim at constraining the two-infall chemical evolution models for the solar annulus using the measured chemical abundance ratios and seismically inferred age of stars in the APOKASC sample. In the revised two-infall chemical evolution models by Spitoni et al. (2019), a significant delay of $\sim 4.3$ Gyr has been invoked between the two epi…
Increasingly powerful and multiplexed spectroscopic facilities promise detailed chemical abundance patterns for millions of resolved stars in galaxies beyond the Milky Way (MW). Here, we employ the Cramér-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) to forecast the precision to which stellar abundances for metal-poor, low-mass stars outside the MW can be measured for 41 current (e.g., Keck, MMT, VLT, DESI) and planned (e.g., MSE, JWST, ELTs) spectrograph configurations. We show that moderate resolution ($R\lesssim5000$) spectroscopy at blue-optical wavelengths ($λ\lesssim4500$ Å) (i) enables the recovery of 2-4 tim…
A period of quenching between the formation of the thick and thin disks of the Milky Way has been recently proposed to explain the observed age-[α/Fe] distribution of stars in the solar neighbourhood. However, robust constraints on stellar ages are currently available for only a limited number of stars. The all-sky survey TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) will observe the brightest stars in the sky and thus can be used to investigate the age distributions of stars in these components of the Galaxy via asteroseismology, where previously this has been difficult using other techniques.…
We identify the nature of high redshift long Gamma-Ray Bursts (LGRBs) host galaxies by comparing the observed abundance ratios in the interstellar medium with detailed chemical evolution models accounting for the presence of dust. We compare abundance data from long Gamma-Ray Bursts afterglow spectra to abundance patterns as predicted by our models for different galaxy types. We analyse [X/Fe] abundance ratios (where X is C, N, O, Mg, Si, S, Ni, Zn) as functions of [Fe/H]. Different galaxies (irregulars, spirals, spheroids) are, in fact, characterised by different star formation histories, whi…
Precise stellar ages from asteroseismology have become available and can help setting stronger constraints on the evolution of the Galactic disc components. Recently, asteroseismology has confirmed a clear age difference in the solar annulus between two distinct sequences in the [$α$/Fe] versus [Fe/H] abundance ratios relation: the high-$α$ and low-$α$ stellar populations. We aim at reproducing these new data with chemical evolution models including different assumptions for the history and number of accretion events. We tested two different approaches: a revised version of the `two-infall' mo…
StAGE: Stellar Archaeology-driven Galaxy Evolution II. Binary Black Hole Mergers in Quiescent Galaxies and their Star-forming Progenitors
SISSA（斯issa国际高等研究院）；INFN-Trieste（意大利国家核物理研究所的里雅斯特分部）；IFPU（理论物理学前沿研究所）；INAF-IRA（意大利国家天体物理研究所都灵天文台）；Univ. Heidelberg（海德堡大学）；Univ. of Trento（特伦托大学）；INAF-OAR（意大利国家天体物理研究所阿斯科利山天文台）
I present an analysis of ~13000 stars from RAVE Data Release 4 (DR4) to better understand the formation of the thick disk. The stars I consider are mostly within 1 kpc of the Sun. Based on a Monte-Carlo analysis of the data and comparison with a toy model, I suggest the thick disk formed fairly rapidly when [Mg/Fe] ${\approx}$0.2-0.3. We consider an origin via direct accretion unlikely as the thick disk is fast-rotating and fairly metal-rich for its age. As internal disk heating can not easily reach the high observed velocity dispersions and would likely be more gradual, it also appears implau…
With the advent of the space missions CoRoT and Kepler, it has become feasible to determine precise asteroseismic masses and ages for large samples of red-giant stars. In this paper, we present the CoRoGEE dataset -- obtained from CoRoT lightcurves for 606 red giant stars in two fields of the Galactic disc which have been co-observed for an ancillary project of APOGEE. We have used the Bayesian parameter estimation code PARAM to calculate distances, extinctions, masses, and ages for these stars in a homogeneous analysis, resulting in relative statistical uncertainties of $\sim2\%$ in distance,…
The astrophysical origins of $r$-process elements remain elusive. Neutron star mergers (NSMs) and special classes of core-collapse supernovae (rCCSNe) are leading candidates. Due to these channels' distinct characteristic timescales (rCCSNe: prompt, NSMs: delayed), measuring $r$-process enrichment in galaxies of similar mass, but differing star-formation durations might prove informative. Two recently discovered disrupted dwarfs in the Milky Way's stellar halo, Kraken and \textit{Gaia}-Sausage Enceladus (GSE), afford precisely this opportunity: both have $M_{\star}\approx10^{8}M_{\rm{\odot}}$,…
A Glimpse of the Stellar Populations and Elemental Abundances of Gravitationally Lensed, Quiescent Galaxies at $z\gtrsim 1$ with Keck Deep Spectroscopy
A catalogue of asteroseismically calibrated ages for APOGEE DR17. The predictions of a CatBoost machine learning model based on the [Mg/Ce] chemical clock and other stellar parameters
We characterize the 3-D spatial variations of [Fe/H], [Mg/H], and [Mg/Fe] in stars at the time of their formation, across 11 simulated Milky Way (MW)- and M31-mass galaxies in the FIRE-2 simulations, to inform initial conditions for chemical tagging. The overall scatter in [Fe/H] within a galaxy decreased with time until $\approx 7$ Gyr ago, after which it increased to today: this arises from a competition between a reduction of azimuthal scatter and a steepening of the radial gradient in abundance over time. The radial gradient is generally negative, and it steepened over time from an initial…
We use the \eagle\ simulations to study the connection between the quenching timescale, $τ_{\rm Q}$, and the physical mechanisms that transform star-forming galaxies into passive galaxies. By quantifying $τ_{\rm Q}$ in two complementary ways - as the time over which (i) galaxies traverse the green valley on the colour-mass diagram, or (ii) leave the main sequence of star formation and subsequently arrive on the passive cloud in specific star formation rate (SSFR)-mass space - we find that the $τ_{\rm Q}$ distribution of high-mass centrals, low-mass centrals and satellites are divergent. In the…
We model satellite quenching at $z \sim 1$ by combining $14$ massive ($10^{13.8} < M_{\mathrm{halo}}/\mathrm{M}_{\odot} < 10^{15}$) clusters at $0.8 < z < 1.3$ from the GOGREEN and GCLASS surveys with accretion histories of $56$ redshift-matched analogs from the IllustrisTNG simulation. Our fiducial model, which is parameterized by the satellite quenching timescale ($τ_{\rm quench}$), accounts for quenching in our simulated satellite population both at the time of infall by using the observed coeval field quenched fraction and after infall by tuning $τ_{\rm quench}$ to reproduce the observed s…
Mergers may not be the main channel for galaxy stellar mass growth at redshift $z\gtrsim5$: Predictions from cosmological hierarchical models and simulations
Fudan University（复旦大学）；Argelander-Institut für Astronomie（阿尔加德纳天文研究所）；University of Southampton（南安普顿大学）；SISSA（国际高等研究学院）；IFPU（弗里乌利基础物理研究所）；INFN, Sezione di Trieste（意大利国家核物理研究院的里雅斯特分部）；IRA-INAF（意大利国家天体物理研究所阿雷佐分部）；Scuola Normale Superiore（比萨高等师范学院）；Institute for Computational Cosmology, Department of Physics, Durham University（达勒姆大学物理学院计算宇宙学研究所）
Stellar ages from [C/N] in giant stars: applicability and limitations
The Australian National University（澳大利亚国立大学）；INAF - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio（意大利国家天体物理研究所-天文与空间科学观测站）；Università degli Studi di Catania（卡塔尼亚大学）；Università degli Studi di Bologna（博洛尼亚大学）；Vilnius University（维尔纽斯大学）；INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri（意大利国家天体物理研究所-阿切特里天文台）
Although there has been much progress in understanding how galaxies evolve, we still do not understand how and when they stop forming stars and become quiescent. We address this by applying our galaxy spectral energy distribution models, which incorporate physically motivated star formation histories (SFHs) from cosmological simulations, to a sample of quiescent galaxies at $0.2<z<2.1$. A total of 845 quiescent galaxies with multi-band photometry spanning rest-frame ultraviolet through near-infrared wavelengths are selected from the CANDELS dataset. We compute median SFHs of these galaxies in …
We present the star formation histories (SFHs) of early-type dwarf galaxies, dSphs and dEs, in the local universe within z=0.01. The SFHs of early-type dwarf galaxies are characterized by pre-enriched, metal-poor old stellar populations, absence of moderately old stars that have ages of a few Gyr. There are some differences in the SFHs of dSphs and dEs. In particular, dSphs formed old ($\gtrsim10$ Gyr old) metal-poor stars $\sim2$ times more than dEs. The effects of reionization and feedback from supernova explosions are thought to be strong enough to remove the gas left, which prevent moderat…
We calculate accretion mass of interstellar objects (ISOs) like `Oumuamua onto low-mass population III stars (Pop.~III survivors), and estimate surface pollution of Pop.~III survivors. An ISO number density estimated from the discovery of `Oumuamua is so high ($\sim 0.2$~au$^{-3}$) that Pop.~III survivors have chances at colliding with ISOs $\gtrsim 10^5$ times per $1$~Gyr. `Oumuamua itself would be sublimated near Pop.~III survivors, since it has small size, $\sim 100$~m. However, ISOs with size $\gtrsim 3$~km would reach the Pop.~III survivor surfaces. Supposing an ISO cumulative number dens…
Recent JWST observations suggest an excess of $z\gtrsim10$ galaxy candidates above most theoretical models. Here, we explore how the interplay between halo formation timescales, star formation efficiency and dust attenuation affects the properties and number densities of galaxies we can detect in the early universe. We calculate the theoretical upper limit on the UV luminosity function, assuming star formation is 100% efficient and all gas in halos is converted into stars, and that galaxies are at the peak age for UV emission (~10 Myr). This upper limit is ~4 orders of magnitude greater than c…
We present estimates of stellar age and mass for 0.93 million Galactic disk main sequence turn-off and sub-giant stars from the LAMOST Galactic Spectroscopic Surveys. The ages and masses are determined by matching with stellar isochrones using Bayesian algorithm, utilizing effective temperature $T_{\rm eff}$, absolute magnitude ${\rm M}_V$, metallicity [Fe/H] and $α$-element to iron abundance ratio [$α$/Fe] deduced from the LAMOST spectra. Extensive examinations suggest the age and mass estimates are robust. The overall sample stars have a median error of 34 per cent for the age estimates, and…
Even though plenty of symbiotic stars (SySts) have been found in the Galactic field and nearby galaxies, not a single one has ever been confirmed in a Galactic globular cluster (GC). We investigate the lack of such systems in GCs for the first time by analysing 144 GC models evolved with the MOCCA code, which have different initial properties and are roughly representative of the Galactic GC population. We focus here on SySts formed through the wind-accretion channel, which can be consistently modelled in binary population synthesis codes. We found that the orbital periods of the majority of s…
Leo A is an isolated gas-rich dwarf irregular galaxy of low stellar mass and metallicity residing at the outskirts of the Local Group. Ages of the stellar populations in Leo A range from $\sim$10 Myr to $\sim$10 Gyr. So far, only one star cluster has been discovered in this galaxy. Our aim is to search for star cluster candidates in the Leo A galaxy. We performed photometry of star-like objects on HST ACS archive observation frames in the $F475W$ and $F814W$ passbands and studied the spatial clustering of the Leo A stars down to the turn-off point of the old stellar populations. We report the …
Quiescent galaxies at $z \gtrsim 2$ are compact and have weak or absent emission lines, making it difficult to spatially resolve their kinematics and stellar populations using ground-based spectroscopy. Gravitationally lensed examples provide a promising route forward, but such objects are very rare. We describe a search in the fields of 232 galaxy clusters that has uncovered five bright ($H_{\rm AB} < 20$) lensed galaxies with red near-infrared colors. These include MRG-M0138, the brightest lensed galaxy known in the near-infrared. Analysis of near-infrared spectra and multiband photometry co…
We present a comprehensive and detailed study of the stellar populations of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy. We analyse their spatial distributions along the main body of the galaxy, obtaining their surface density maps, together with their radial density profiles. Results are based on the largest and most complete catalogue of stars in Fornax, with more than $3.5\times10^{5}$ stars covering the main body of the galaxy up to $V \sim 24$. We find a differentiated structure in Fornax depending on the stellar ages. Old stars ($\gtrsim 10$ Gyr) follow an elliptical distribution well fitted by K…
[Abridged] Ensemble studies of red-giant stars with exquisite asteroseismic, spectroscopic, and astrometric constraints offer a novel opportunity to recast and address long-standing questions concerning the evolution of stars and of the Galaxy. Here, we infer masses and ages for nearly 5400 giants with available Kepler light curves and APOGEE spectra, and discuss some of the systematics that may affect the accuracy of the inferred stellar properties. First, we look at age-chemical-abundances relations. We find a dearth of young, metal-rich stars, and the existence of a significant population o…
Star-forming galaxies in the cosmic web in the last 11 Gyr
Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg, UMR 7550, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg（斯特拉斯堡天文台）；Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh（爱丁堡大学天体物理研究所）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of the Western Cape（西开普大学物理与天文学系）
The Last Galactic Firework: Timing the last significant merger with stars, globular clusters and $ω$Centauri
LIRA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, CY Cergy Paris Université, CNRS（巴黎天文台，巴黎文理研究大学，索邦大学，巴黎西岱大学，CY塞尔吉巴黎大学，法国国家科学研究中心）；Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (ICCUB), Universitat de Barcelona（巴塞罗那宇宙科学研究所以及巴塞罗那大学）；Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC)（加泰罗尼亚空间研究所）；Kavli IPMU (WPI), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo（东京大学 Kavli 宇宙物理数学研究所（世界顶尖科研中心）、东京大学宇宙射线研究所）
Understanding the variability of galaxy star formation histories (SFHs) across a range of timescales provides insight into the underlying physical processes that regulate star formation within galaxies. We compile the SFHs of galaxies at $z=0$ from an extensive set of models, ranging from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations (Illustris, IllustrisTNG, Mufasa, Simba, EAGLE), zoom simulations (FIRE-2, g14, and Marvel/Justice League), semi-analytic models (Santa Cruz SAM) and empirical models (UniverseMachine), and quantify the variability of these SFHs on different timescales using the power s…
J-PLUS Reconstructing the Milky Way Disc's star formation history with twelve-filter photometry
Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA)（阿拉贡宇宙物理研究中心）；Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAA-CSIC)（安达卢西亚天体物理学研究所 - 西班牙国家研究委员会）；Unidad Asociada CEFCA-IAA, CEFCA, Unidad Asociada al CSIC por el IAA y el IFCA（CEFCA-IAA联合单位，CEFCA，由IAA和IFCA与CSIC关联的单位）；Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA（天体生物学中心，西班牙国家研究委员会-国家航空航天技术研究所）；NSF NOIRLab（美国国家科学基金会NOIR天文台实验室）；Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo（圣保罗大学天文、地球物理与大气科学学院）；Department of Astronomy, Beijing Normal University（北京师范大学天文系）；Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Observatório do Valongo（里约热内卢联邦大学瓦隆戈天文台）；Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México（墨西哥国立自治大学射电天文学与天体物理学研究所）
We present the age-velocity dispersion relation (AVR) in three dimensions in the solar neighbourhood using 3,564 commonly observed sub-giant/red-giant branch stars selected from LAMOST, which gives the age and radial velocity, and \emph{Gaia}, which measures the distance and proper motion. The stars are separated into metal-poor (${\rm [Fe/H]<-0.2}$\,dex and metal-rich (${\rm [Fe/H]>-0.2}$\,dex) groups, so that the metal-rich stars are mostly $α$-poor, while the metal-poor group are mostly contributed by $α$-enhanced stars. Thus, the old and metal-poor stars likely belong to the chemically def…
