基于SDSS-DR8及2MASS数据的疏散星团NGC 6791的基本性质研究

利用斯隆数字巡天（SDSS）第8次释放数据（DR8）的恒星光谱数据及2MASS（Two Micro All Sky Survey）近红外点源测光数据研究著名的疏散星团NGC 6791,得到该星团的视向速度与金属丰度分别为V_r=-46.4±0.2 km·s^-1和[Fe/H]=0.32±0.11dex.利用星团中红团簇巨星作为理想"标准烛光",结合2MASS近红外点源测光数据计算了该星团的绝对距离模数为（m-M）₀=13.02±0.08 mag或4.02±0.15 kpc.与其他研究者给出的结果进行了比较,金属丰度、视向速度及绝对距离模数都符合得比较好.主要结论有3点:（1）NGC 6791是个极度富金属的星团;（2）在SDSS的光谱分辨能力以内,分离出的87颗团星之间不存在明显的金属丰度差异;（3）得到的距离模数对年龄、金属丰度及尘埃消光不敏感,是一种可靠的间接测量.     

基于深度学习的LAMOST星系星族参数测量

星系的光谱包含其内部恒星的年龄和金属丰度等信息, 从观测光谱数据中测量这些信息对于深入了解星系的形成和演化至关重要. LAMOST (Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope)巡天发布了大量的星系光谱, 这些高维光谱与它们的物理参数之间存在着高度的非线性关系. 而深度学习适合于处理多维、海量的非线性数据, 因此基于深度学习技术构建了一个8个卷积层$+$4个池化层$+$1个全连接层的卷积神经网络, 对LAMOST Data Release 7 (DR7)星系的年龄和金属丰度进行自动估计. 实验结果表明, 使用卷积神经网络通过星系光谱预测的星族参数与传统方法基本一致, 误差在0.18dex以内, 并且随着光谱信噪比的增大, 预测误差越来越小. 实验还对比了卷积神经网络与随机森林回归模型、深度神经网络的参数测量结果, 结果表明卷积神经网络的结果优于其他两种回归模型.     

基于混合模型的疏散星团视向速度和金属丰度研究

疏散星团是研究星族和银河系形成与演化的理想示踪体。基于LAMOST DR7低分辨率光谱,在视向速度和金属丰度两维空间上,构建包含团星和场星的混合模型：以二维正高斯模型来描述团星的分布,以星团天区周围的恒星来构建场星的分布模型。同时,在模型中考虑了观测误差的影响。对3个具有丰富光谱数据的典型疏散星团进行了拟合。年轻星团Melotte 22和中年星团NGC 2281可以较好地约束其视向速度的内禀弥散,分别为：1.47_-1.18^+0.95km·s^-1和2.05_-1.18^+1.39km·s^-1,而年老星团NGC 2682只能给出速度弥散的上限约为0.96 km·s^-1。Melotte22、NGC 2281和NGC 2682的金属丰度内禀弥散分别为：0.170_-0.009^+0.012dex,(0.108±0.012) dex和(0.050±0.005) dex,都明显大于金属丰度的观测误差(约0.02...     

老年疏散星团的金属丰度及银盘金属丰度梯度演化研究

疏散星团是探究银河系结构与演化的良好示踪体,一直以来颇受关注.之前关于疏散星团的研究中,仅有一小部分疏散星团有金属丰度参数,而且,金属丰度的测量,是基于不同质量的观测数据,采用了不同的方法.收集了一个年龄大于2 Gyr的老年疏散星团样本,通过整理这些星团成员星的金属丰度数据,一方面,以星团NGC 2682为例,对比了不同光谱巡天项目给出的星团成员星金属丰度的系统差异;另一方面,计算了星团成员星金属丰度的平均值和中位值,作为该疏散星团的金属丰度推荐值.此外,还利用该样本探究了银盘径向金属丰度梯度随时间的演化,结果表明,早期银盘有着更加陡峭的径向金属丰度梯度,随着演化时间的增加,银盘径向金属丰度梯度逐渐趋于平缓,为银盘化学演化模型提供了更加严格的观测约束.     

一种新的基于2维傅里叶谱图像的恒星光谱特征提取方法和深度网络分类应用

天体光谱分类是天文学研究的重要内容之一,其关键是从光谱数据中选择和提取对分类识别最有效的特征构建特征空间.提出一种新的基于2维傅里叶谱图像的特征提取方法,并应用于LAMOST (the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope)恒星光谱数据的分类研究中.光谱数据来源于LAMOST Data Release 5(DR5),选取30000条F、 G和K型星光谱数据,利用短时傅里叶变换(Short-Time Fourier Transform, STFT)将1维光谱数据变换成2维傅里叶谱图像,对得到的2维傅里叶谱图像采用深度卷积网络模型进行分类,得到的分类准确率是92.90%.实验结果表明通过对LAMOST恒星光谱数据进行STFT可得到光谱的2维傅里叶谱图像,谱图像构成了新的光谱数据特征和特征空间,新的特征对于光谱数据分类是有效的.此方法是对光谱分类的一种全新尝试,对海量天体光谱的分类和挖掘处理有一定的开创意义.     

发射线星系[OⅡ]λ3727/Hα谱线流量比的研究

利用从斯隆数字巡天(Sloan Digital Sky Survey,简称SDSS)第4次释放的光谱数据中选取的10~5个发射线星系样本,研究了[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα流量比与星系尘埃消光、气体电离态和金属丰度的关系.发现尘埃消光改正对[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα谱线流量比影响显著,消光改正前、后的[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα谱线流量比的中值分别为0.48和0.89;尘埃消光改正后,F([O_Ⅱ]λ3727)-F(Hα)的弥散显著减小.贫金属星系的[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα谱线流量比随星系气体的电离度增高而减小,而富金属星系不存在这种关系.另外,[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα流量比与星系金属丰度相关.当12+lg(O/H)8.5时,星系[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα流量比随金属丰度增加而下降;12+lg(O/H)8.5的星系,谱线流量比与金属丰度正相关.最后,利用气体电离度参数和星系的金属丰度,给出了计算不同类型星系[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα流量比的公式.LAMOST望远镜将观测到大量红移z0.4的星系光谱,利用该公式可以给出星系的[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα流量比,从而可以利用[O_Ⅱ]λ3727谱线流量计算z0.4星系的恒星形成率.     

CEMP星HE1005-1439中子俘获元素天体物理来源的研究

HE1005-1439是一颗金属丰度极低([Fe/H] ~ - 3.0)的碳增丰贫金属星(Carbon Enhanced Metal-Poor,CEMP), 该星的s-过程元素显著超丰([Ba/Fe] = 1.16±0.31, [Pb/Fe] = 1.98±0.19), 而r-过程元素温和超丰([Eu/Fe] = 0.46±0.22), 使用单一的s-过程模型和i-过程模型均不能拟合该星中子俘获丰度分布. 采用丰度分解的方法探究该星化学元素的天体物理来源可有助于理解CEMP星的形成和化学演化. 利用s-过程和r-过程的混合模型对其中子俘获元素的丰度分布进行拟合, 发现该星的中子俘获元素主要来源于低质量低金属丰度AGB伴星的s-过程核合成, 而r-过程核合成也有贡献.     

星系团Abell 85的动力学子结构

Abell 85是位于南半天区红移为0.055的cD星系团.基于前人的光谱观测数据和SDSS(Sloan Digital Sky Survey)数据,利用3σ方法筛选出该星系团的370个成员星系,并对其动力学情况进行了分析.从这些成员星系的空间分布和局域视向速度分布中,发现了该星系团含有4个明显的子结构,且正处于两两并合之中.这表明Abell 85处在动力学活跃的状态,远未达到动力学平衡.     

金属丰度对球状星团动力学演化的影响

动力学过程和恒星演化及二者的互相影响都会对球状星团的演化产生重要影响.由于金属丰度会影响恒星的演化轨迹,与之相伴随的恒星质量损失率的变化也会对球状星团的动力学过程造成影响.通过一系列N体模拟研究金属丰度对球状星团的质量损失率、半径等的影响,并分析其原因,同时研究了大质量恒星以及星团初始数密度分布的影响.模拟中采用的球状星团模型初始成员星数目N=50000,运行于类银河系的引力势中并考虑成员星的演化.结果显示,由于低金属丰度恒星拥有较快的演化时标,所以贫金属球状星团在早期会拥有较高的质量损失,但与此同时它们的核塌缩时间会比后者显著推迟,因此在核塌缩之后其质量损失会被富金属星团反超.另外由于大质量恒星演化导致的质量损失较大,所以大质量星的存在会使金属丰度更加显著地影响球状星团早期的扩张以及随后的核塌缩过程,同时星团的初始数密度分布也对该效应有着不可忽视的影响.     

EPIC 202060577的双星解轨和物理参数研究

EPIC 202060577是一个包含B型子星的食双星系统.根据K2测光数据获得了45个次极小时刻,确定其轨道周期为1.019648 d并给出了历元公式.基于大天区面积多目标光纤光谱望远镜(Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope, LAMOST1,又称郭守敬望远镜)的光谱数据,使用ROTFIT程序获得了目标系统的主星光谱型、有效温度、金属丰度与表面重力加速度,并计算得到了视向速度曲线.通过PHOEBE (Physics Of Eclipsing Binaries)建模程序和emcee (Affine Invariant Markov chain Monte Carlo Ensemble Sampler)拟合程序,对EPIC 202060577进行了轨道求解并分析了RossiterMcLaughlin效应对视向速度曲线的影响.最终结果表明EPIC 202060577是一个质量比q=0.11的分离结构食双星系统(q=M2/M1, M1、M2分别为主星和伴星质量),主星的光谱型为B2/3,主星和伴星的质量、半径和有效温度分别为M1=12.56M⊙和M2=1.39M⊙,R1=4.58Rsun和R2=1.85Rsun, T1=18979 K和T2=8710 K, M⊙和Rsun分别为太阳质量和半径.根据所获得的物理参数,对EPIC 202060577的演化阶段进行了讨论.     

Inhomogeneous chemical evolution of dwarf spheroidal galaxies

Stellar abundance pattern of n-capture elements such as barium is used as a powerful tool to infer how the star formation proceeded in dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies. It is found that the abundance correlation of barium with iron in stars belonging to dSph galaxies orbiting the Milky Way, i.e., Draco, Sextans, and Ursa Minor have a feature similar to that in Galactic metal-poor stars. The common feature of these two correlations can be realized by our in homogeneous chemical evolution model based on the supernova-driven star formation scenario if dSph stars formed from gas with a velocity dispersion of ∼ 26 km s^-1. This velocity dispersion together with the stellar luminosities strongly suggest that dark matter dominated dSph galaxies. The tidal force of the Milky Way links this velocity dispersion with the currently observed value ≲ 10 km s^-1 by stripping the dark matter in dSph galaxies. As a result, the total mass of each dSph galaxy is found to have been originally ∼ 25 times larger than at present. In this model, supernovae immediately after the end of the star formation can expel the remaining gas over the gravitational potential of the dSph galaxy. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The origin of Segue 1

We apply the optimal filter technique to Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometry around Segue 1 and find that the outer parts of the cluster are distorted. There is strong evidence for  ∼1°  elongations of extra-tidal stars, extending both eastwards and southwestwards of the cluster. The extensions have similar differential Hess diagrams to Segue 1. A Kolmogorov–Smirnov test suggests a high probability that both come from the same parent distribution. The location of Segue 1 is close to crossings of the tidal wraps of the Sagittarius stream. By extracting blue horizontal branch stars from Sloan's spectral data base, two kinematic features are isolated and identified with different wraps of the Sagittarius stream. We show that Segue 1 is moving with a velocity that is close to one of the wraps. At this location, we estimate that there are enough Sagittarius stars, indistinguishable from Segue 1 stars, to inflate the velocity dispersion and hence the mass-to-light ratio. All the available evidence is consistent with the interpretation that Segue 1 is a star cluster, originally from the Sagittarius galaxy, and now dissolving in the Milky Way.     

Candidate members of the Pal 5,GD-1,Cetus Polar and Orphan tidal stellar halo streams from SDSS DR9,LAMOST DR3 and APOGEE catalogs

We present candidate members of the Pal 5,GD-1,Cetus Polar and Orphan tidal stellar streams found in LAMOST DR3,SDSS DR9 and APOGEE catalogs.In LAMOST DR3,we find 20,4 and 24 high confidence candidates of tidal streams GD-1,Cetus Polar and Orphan respectively.We also list 59,118 and 10 high confidence candidates of tidal streams Cetus Polar,Orphan and Pal 5,respectively from the SDSS DR9 spectroscopic catalog.Furthermore,we find seven high confidence candidates of the Pal 5 tidal stream in the APOGEE data.Compared with SDSS,the new candidates from LAMOST DR3 are brighter,so that together,more of the color-magnitude diagram,including the giant branch,can be explored.Analysis of the SDSS data shows that there are three metallicity peaks associated with the Orphan stream which also exhibit some spatial separation.The LAMOST data confirm multiple metallicities in this stream.The metallicity,given by the higher resolution APOGEE instrument,of the Pal 5 tidal stream is [Fe/H] ~-1.2,higher than that given earlier by SDSS spectra.Many previously unidentified stream members are tabulated here for the first time,along with existing members,allowing future researchers to further constrain the orbits of these objects as they move within the Galaxy's dark matter potential.     

Stellar Abundance and Galactic Chemical Evolution through LAMOST Spectroscopic Survey

A project of a spectroscopic survey of Galactic structure and evolution with a Large sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) is presented. The spectroscopic survey consists of two observational modes for various targets in our Galaxy. One is a major survey of the Milky Way aimed at a systematic study of the stellar abundance and Galactic chemical evolution through low resolution (R=1000-2000) spectroscopy. Another is a follow-up observation with medium resolution (R = 10000) spectrographs aimed at detailed studies of the selected stars with different chemical composition, kinematics and dynamics.     

Hypervelocity collisions of binary stars at the Galactic Centre

Recent surveys have identified seven hypervelocity stars (HVSs) in the halo of the Milky Way. Most of these stars may have originated from the breakup of binary star systems by the nuclear black hole SgrA*. In some instances, the breakup of the binary may lead to a collision between its member stars. We examine the dynamical properties of these collisions by simulating thousands of different binary orbits around SgrA* with a direct N -body integration code. For some orbital parameters, the two stars collide with an impact velocity lower than their escape velocity and may therefore coalesce. It is possible for a coalescing binary to have sufficient velocity to escape the galaxy. Furthermore, some of the massive S-stars near Sgr A* might be the merger remnants of binary systems, however this production method can not account for most of the S-stars.     

Discs of satellites: the new dwarf spheroidals

The spatial distributions of the most recently discovered ultra-faint dwarf satellites around the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy are compared to the previously reported discs-of-satellites (DoS) of their host galaxies. In our investigation, we pay special attention to the selection bias introduced due to the limited sky coverage of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We find that the new Milky Way satellite galaxies follow closely the DoS defined by the more luminous dwarfs, thereby further emphasizing the statistical significance of this feature in the Galactic halo. We also note a deficit of satellite galaxies with Galactocentric distances larger than  100 kpc  that are away from the DoS of the Milky Way. In the case of Andromeda, we obtain similar results, naturally complementing our previous finding and strengthening the notion that the DoS are optical manifestations of a phase-space correlation of satellite galaxies.     

New Wolf–Rayet central stars of planetary nebulae identified on the AAO/UKST Hα Survey

The central stars of two of the new planetary nebulae found during scans of the AAO/UKST H α Survey of the Milky Way have been found to exhibit Wolf–Rayet (WR) emission features. One (PMR 1) is an early-type star of class either [WO4] or [WC4]. The other (PMR 2) is a late [WC] star which, depending on the classification scheme used, is either intermediate in class between [WC9] and [WC10] or the sole member of the [WC10] class. Both stars exhibit unusual spectral features which may be attributed to enhanced nitrogen in their atmospheres and could be indicative of unusual stellar evolution.     

Simulations of minor mergers – II. The phase-space structure of thick discs

We analyse the phase-space structure of simulated thick discs that are the result of a 5:1 mass-ratio merger between a disc galaxy and a satellite. Our main goal is to establish what would be the imprints of a merger origin for the Galactic thick disc. We find that the spatial distribution predicted for thick-disc stars is asymmetric, seemingly in agreement with recent observations of the Milky Way thick disc. Near the Sun, the accreted stars are expected to rotate more slowly, to have broad velocity distributions and to occupy preferentially the wings of the line-of-sight velocity distributions. The majority of the stars in our model thick discs have low eccentricity orbits (in clear reference to the pre-existing heated disc) which give rise to a characteristic (sinusoidal) pattern for their line-of-sight velocities as a function of galactic longitude. The z -component of the angular momentum of thick-disc stars provides a clear discriminant between stars from the pre-existing disc and those from the satellite, particularly at large radii. These results are robust against the particular choices of initial conditions made in our simulations.     

Stellar Relics from the Early Galaxy

We reviewed the recent progress in the field of stellar/galactic archeology, which is a study of the relics from the early galaxy. The oldest and most pristine objects that can be observed in the galaxy are the low mass metal poor stars of the Milky Way. They were formed during the early phases, when the ISM might have been polluted only by the Pop-III supernovae. With the recent large spectroscopic surveys (e.g. HK survey by Beers and collaborators, the Hamburg-ESO survey by Christlieb and collaborators and Sloan Digital Sky Survey) it has been possible to get clues on the nature of the first stars that has contributed to the heavy elements. Most of these metal-poor low mass stars also retain their signature of the early dynamical evolution of the galaxy, which can be studied through their orbits around the galaxy and spatial distribution. Here, we discuss the connection between the chemical and the kinematical properties of metal-poor stars in order to probe the early galaxy formation. We also discuss about the globular clusters, the satellite galaxies around the Milky Way and its possible contribution to the formation of the galaxy halo.