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.     

巨早型星系的近红外谱合成

在8000至8670的波长范围内,利用一个由144颗恒星光谱组成的光谱厍,我们对57个巨椭圆和S0星系(M_B<-21)的光谱和它们的平均光谱进行了光谱合成.这个光谐库包括了光谱型为G,K和M的巨星和矮星,它具有的金属丰度[Fe/H]覆盖了-0.1到-0.5的范围,表面重力log g为1.0至5.0.光谱合成的结果表明:巨椭圆和S0星系的金属丰度约为太阳的一倍半;有效表面重力分布在3.2—4.1的范围内;矮星在8400附近光的贡献可与巨星相比较.     

Metallicity of Young and Old Stars in Irregular Galaxies

Based on archived images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope, stellar photometry for 105 irregular galaxies has been conducted. We have shown the red supergiant and giant branches in the obtained Hertzsprung-Russel diagrams. Using the TRGB method, distances to galaxies and metallicity of red giants have been determined. The color index (V ? I) of the supergiant branch at the luminosity level M_I = ?7 was chosen as the metallicity index of red supergiants. For the galaxies under study, the diagrams have been built, in which the correlation can be seen between the luminosity of galaxies (M_B) and metallicity of red giants and supergiants. The main source of variance of the results in the obtained diagrams is, in our opinion, uncertainty inmeasurements of galaxy luminosities and star-forming outburst. The relation between metallicity of young and old stars shows that main enrichment of galaxies with metals has taken place in the remote past. Deviations of some galaxies in the obtained relation can possibly be explained with the fall of the intergalactic gas on them, although, this inconsiderably affects metallicities of the stellar content.     

Analysis of UBV photometry in selected area 133

We interpret the de‐reddened UBV data for the field SA 133 to deduce the stellar density and metallicity distribution functions. The logarithmic local space density for giants, D*(0) = 6.40, and the agreement of the luminosity function for dwarfs and sub‐giants with the one of Hipparcos confirms the empirical method used for their separation. The metallicity distribution for dwarfs gives a narrow peak at [Fe/H] = +0.13 dex, due to apparently bright limiting magnitude, V_o = 16.5, whereas late‐type giants extending up to z ∼ 4.5 kpc from the galactic plane have a multimodal distribution. The metallicity distribution for giants gives a steep gradient d[Fe/H]/dz = –0.75 dex kpc^–1 for thin disk and thick disk whereas a smaller value for the halo, i.e. d[Fe/H]/dz = –0.45 dex kpc^–1. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Carbon abundances and 12C/13C from globular cluster giants

The behaviour of the  Δν= 2 CO  bands around 2.3 μm was examined by comparing observed and synthetic spectra in stars in globular clusters of different metallicity. Changes in the ¹²C/¹³C isotopic ratio and the carbon abundances were investigated in stars from 3500–4900 K in the galactic globular clusters M71, M5, M3 and M13, covering the metallicity range from −0.7 to −1.6. We found relatively low carbon abundances that are not affected by the value of oxygen abundance. For most giants, the ¹²C/¹³C ratios determined are consistent with the equilibrium value for the CN cycle. This suggests complete mixing on the ascent of the red giant branch, in contrast to the substantially higher values predicted across this range of parameters by the current generation of models. We found some evidence for a larger dispersion of ¹²C/¹³C in giants of M71 of metallicity  [μ]=[M/H]=−0.7  in comparison with the giants of M3, M5 and M13, which are more metal deficient. Finally, we show evidence for lower ¹²C/¹³C in giants of globular clusters with lower metallicities, as predicted by theory.     

Stellar content and distances to the isolated spiral galaxies NGC 6503 and NGC 6946

Based on archival Hubble Space Telescope images, we have performed stellar photometry of several fields in the isolated spiral galaxies NGC 6503 and NGC 6946 with high peculiar velocities. Based on the TRGB method, we have determined the distances to the galaxies: D = 6.30 ± 0.10 Mpc for NGC 6503 and D = 6.72 ± 0.15 Mpc for NGC 6946. The current stellar content of the galaxies does not differ from that of other similar galaxies. The metallicity for young stars in NGC 6503 is Z = 0.02 (corresponding to the solar metallicity), while the metallicity for stars in NGC 6946 reaches Z = 0.05. Very few old globular clusters have been found in NGC 6946, while they have not been found at all in NGC 6503. The number density distribution of stars with different ages in NGC 6503 does not differ from the analogous distributions in other galaxies. The large sizes of the thick disk in NGC 6503, which is clearly seen up to 6 kpc from the galactic disk plane and whose possible extension is noticeable up to 8.6 kpc from the plane, are a difference. The sizes of the region occupied by red giants of the disk in NGC 6503 are 51 × 17 kpc, which are not much larger than the sizes of this galaxy from H I radio observations.     

Properties of the population of classical Cepheids in the Galaxy

Based on our compiled catalogue of positions, velocities, ages, and abundances of nine chemical elements for 221 classical Cepheids, we analyze the dependences of the relative abundances of α-elements as well as rapid and slow neutron capture elements on metallicity, space velocity components, and Galactocentric distance. We have found that the relative abundances of all elements in Cepheids do not depend on velocity but increase with Galactocentric distance and decrease with increasing metallicity, just as in thin-disk dwarfs and giants. In Cepheids, however, the [α/Fe]-[Fe/H] relation lies below, while the [r/Fe]-[Fe/H] and [s/Fe]-[Fe/H] relations lie above the analogous sequences for dwarfs and giants. We hypothesize that upon reaching a nearly solar metallicity in the interstellar medium of the thin disk, the most massive stars ceased to explode as type II supernovae, which mostly enriched the interstellar medium with α-elements. As a result, an underabundance of α-elements and a slight overabundance of r-process elements, which are ejected into the interstellar medium by less massive (8–10 M _⊙) type II supernovae, were formed in the next generations of stars. The overabundance of s-process elements in Cepheids can be explained by the fact that some of the s-elements were produced in the weak s-process in the interiors of massive stars, which may be able to eject the upper parts of their envelopes even without any explosion like asymptotic giant branch stars. And since such massive stars, exploding as type II supernovae, also enriched the interstellar medium with a considerable amount of iron atoms, the [s/Fe] ratios (along with [r/Fe]) in the next generations of stars must be higher in their absence.     

Stellar subsystems of the galaxy NGC 1313

Based on archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS/WFC images, we have performed stellar photometry for eight fields of the spiral galaxy NGC 1313 and its satellite, the low-mass Sph/Irr galaxy AM0319-662. Stars of various ages have been identified on the constructed Hertzsprung–Russell diagrams: young supergiants, middle-aged stars, and old stars (red giants); their apparent distributions over the body of the galaxy are presented. The red supergiants and giants have been divided into groups with larger and smaller color indices, corresponding to a difference in stellar metallicity. These groups of stars are shown to have different spatial distributions and to belong to two galaxies, NGC1313 itself and the disrupted satellite. We have determined the distance to NGC 1313, D = 3.88 ± 0.07 Mpc, by the TRGB method from six fields. Our photometry of 2014 HST images has revealed an emerged charge transfer inefficiency on the ACS/WFC CCDs, which manifests itself as a dependence of the photometry of stars on their coordinates on the CCD.     

A method for the simultaneous estimation of the fundamental atmospheric parameters using the photometric indices in the BVRI and JHK color systems

This is the second paper in a series reporting a new method developed to estimate the fundamental atmospheric parameters of effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity simultaneously. In the first paper three parameters were estimated using only photometric indices in the uvby color system. Whereas, in this paper, we use BVRI and JHK color systems. Using the model atmosphere grids, all three parameter values were estimated with respect to both [(B–V):(V–R)] and [(B–V):(R–I)], as well as [(V–K):(H–K)] and [(J–K):(H–K)] pair indices. It was confirmed that (B–V) and (V–K) indices are good temperature indicators, but all color indices for the BVRI and JHK systems are very poor indicators of metallicity and surface gravity. This new method was applied to a number of field dwarfs and giants, and the results were compared with those from the uvby color system. We found that the JHK color system can compete with the uvby system only in the estimation of temperature.     

Old stellar populations in NGC 5128

We have resolved the stars in the halo and in the diffuse northeastern shell of the nearest giant elliptical galaxy NGC 5128 using VLT with FORS1 and ISAAC. Dominating feature in the optical-near IR color-magnitude diagrams is abroad red giant branch, indicating a large spread in metallicity of the stars. We have detected a significant number of sources brighter than the tip of the red giant branch. The variability monitoring of these bright red giants shows that they are long period variables similar to Miras. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The globular cluster system of the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy: the age of Terzan 8

We present deep V - and I -band CCD photometry of the globular cluster Terzan 8, recently found to be a member of the globular cluster system of the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy. We accurately estimate the metallicity of Terzan 8, and provide the first direct determination of the colour excess toward this cluster. Our robust age estimate confirms that this cluster is indeed coeval with typical Galactic globulars of comparable metal content, and thus it is probably significantly older than at least two other Sagittarius clusters, Terzan 7 and Arp 2. The implications of this result on the star formation history of the Sagittarius galaxy are briefly discussed.     

Determining the Absolute Magnitudes of Galactic-Bulge Red Clump Giants in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Y</Emphasis> Filters of the Vista Sky Surveys and the <Emphasis Type="Italic">IRAC</Emphasis> Filters of the Spitzer Sky Surveys

The properties of red clump giants in the central regions of the Galactic bulge are investigated in the photometric Z and Y bands of the infrared VVV (VISTA/ESO) survey and the [3.6], [4.5], [5.8], and [8.0] μm bands of the GLIMPSE (Spitzer/IRAC) Galactic plane survey. The absolute magnitudes for objects of this class have been determined in these bands for the first time: M _Z = ?0.20 ± 0.04, M _Y = ?0.470 ± 0.045, M_[3.6] = ?1.70 ± 0.03, M_[4.5] = ?1.60 ± 0.03, M_[5.8] = ?1.67 ± 0.03, and M_[8.0] = ?1.70 ± 0.03. A comparison of the measured magnitudes with the predictions of theoretical models for the spectra of the objects under study has demonstrated good mutual agreement and has allowed some important constraints to be obtained for the properties of bulge red clump giants. In particular, a comparison with evolutionary tracks has shown that we are dealing predominantly with the high-metallicity subgroup of bulge red clump giants. Their metallicity is slightly higher than has been thought previously, [M/H] ? 0.40 (Z ? 0.038) with an error of [M/H] ? 0.1 dex, while the effective temperature is 4250± 150 K. Stars with an age of 9–10 Gyr are shown to dominate among the red clump giants, although some number of younger objects with an age of ~8 Gyr can also be present. In addition, the distances to several Galactic bulge regions have been measured, as D = 8200–8500 pc, and the extinction law in these directions is shown to differ noticeably from the standard one.     

Optical spectrum of the infrared source IRAS 20004+2955 (V1027 Cyg)

Based on high-dispersion echelle spectra taken with the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope, we study the IR source IRAS 20004+2955 identified with the variable star V1027 Cyg. We have determined the star’s fundamental parameters (T _eff=5000 K, logg=1.0), metallicity ([Fe/H]=?0.2 dex), and atmospheric abundances of 16 elements. Its metallicity, carbon underabundance, and slight overabundance of the heavy elements Zr, Y, Ce, and Eu suggest that V1027 Cyg belongs to the Galactic disk population.     

Identifying Li-rich giants from low-resolution spectroscopic survey

In this paper we discuss our choice of a large unbiased sample used for the survey of red giant branch stars for finding Li-rich K giants, and the method used for identifying Li-rich candidates using low-resolution spectra. The sample has 2000 giants within a mass range of 0.8 to \(3.0\textit{M}_{\odot }\). Sample stars were selected from the Hipparcos catalogue with colour (B–V) and luminosity \((\textit{L}/\textit{L}_{\odot }\)) in such way that the sample covers RGB evolution from its base towards RGB tip passing through first dredge-up and luminosity bump. Low-resolution (R \(\approx \) 2000, 3500, 5000) spectra were obtained for all sample stars. Using core strength ratios of lines at Li I 6707 Å and its adjacent line Ca I 6717 Å  we successfully identified 15 K giants with A(Li) > 1.5 dex, which are defined as Li-rich K giants. The results demonstrate the usefulness of low-resolution spectra to measure Li abundance and identify Li-rich giants from a large sample of stars in relatively shorter time periods.     

F stars, metallicity and the ages of red galaxies at z > 1

We explore whether the rest-frame near-ultraviolet spectral region, observable in high-redshift galaxies via optical spectroscopy, contains sufficient information to allow the degeneracy between age and metallicity to be lifted. We do this by first testing the ability of evolutionary synthesis models to reclaim the correct metallicity when fitted to the near-ultraviolet spectra of F stars of known (subsolar and supersolar) metallicity. F stars are of particular interest because the rest-frame near-ultraviolet spectra of the oldest known elliptical galaxies at   z > 1  appear to be dominated by F stars near to the main-sequence turn-off.
We find that, in the case of the F stars, where the Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet spectra have a high signal-to-noise ratio, fitting models in which the metallicity is allowed to vary as a free parameter is rather successful at deriving the correct metallicity. As a result, the estimated turn-off ages of these stars yielded by model-fitting are well constrained. Encouraged by this we have fitted these same variable-metallicity models to the deep, optical spectra of the   z ≃ 1.5 mJy  radio galaxies 53W091 and 53W069 obtained with the Keck telescope. While the age and metallicity are not so easily constrained for these galaxies, we find that even when metallicity is allowed as a free parameter, the best estimates of their ages are still ≥3 Gyr, with ages younger than 2 Gyr now strongly excluded. Furthermore, we find that a search of the entire parameter space of metallicity and star formation history using MOPED leads to the same conclusion. Our results therefore continue to argue strongly against an Einstein–de Sitter universe, and favour a Λ-dominated universe in which star formation in at least these particular elliptical galaxies was completed somewhere in the redshift range   z = 3–5  .     

Disentangling Metallicity and Age for Turnoff Stars

This is a progress report on calculations of near-ultraviolet spectrawith Ben Dorman at NASA/Goddard, for the ultimate purpose of extractingage and metallicity from extragalactic spectra. We are calculating fromfirst principles a grid of spectra covering 2200–3400 Å using theKurucz program SYNTHE, beginning with stars of metallicity less thanone-fifth solar ([Fe/H] < ?0.7). For these stars, LTE calculationsusing known opacities and line lists including only transitions measuredin the laboratory, coupled with standard line-blanketed LTE models, providea satisfactory match to the spectra of turnoff stars of temperaturesT _eff = 5750 K – 6250 K. For more metal-rich stars, two problemsarise: lines without a laboratory identification become increasinglyinfluential, and the cores of all strong lines become too strong. Theseproblems must be addressed to match near-UV spectra of turnoff stars ofsolar metallicity or higher.     

A Study on the Fundamental Properties of Open Cluster NGC 6791 Based on the SDSS-DR8 and 2MASS Data

The stellar spectroscopic data of SDSS-DR8 (The Eighth Data Release of Sloan Digital Sky Survey) and the near-infrared photometric data of 2MASS (Two Micron All Sky Survey) point sources are used to analyze the fundamental parameters of the open cluster NGC 6791. Using the radial velocities of 274 stars in the region of the cluster, we calculate the membership probability for each star with the maximum likelihood method. Based on the stars with high membership probabilities, we have derived the radial velocity and metal abundance of the cluster to be respectively V_r =−46.4±0.2 km·s⁻¹ and [Fe/H]=0.32±0.11dex, in good agreement with the results obtained by other authors on the basis of high-resolution spectroscopy. Using red clump giants in the cluster as “standard candle”, we have derived the absolute distance modulus of the cluster to be (m − M)₀ =13.02±0.08mag or 4.02±0.15 kpc in distance, consistent with the values obtained from main-sequence fittings by some authors. And our main conclusions are: (1) NGC 6791 is extremely metal-rich; (2) Within the spectral resolution of SDSS, the discriminated 87 cluster members have no evident difference in matallicity; (3) The obtained distance modulus is insensitive to the age, metallicity and dust distinction, so it is a kind of reliable indirect measurement.     

Abundance analysis of the long period southern cepheid RZ Vel

The long period classical cepheid RZ Vel (HD 73502) is known to be a member of an OB association, Vel OB1 in Vela, and a high metallicity is ascribed to it by the photometric work of Eggen (1982). We have done an abundance analysis for this long period (P = 20.4 days) and hence young (age ≈ 1.80×10⁷ yr) classical cepheid using high resolution CCD spectra with good S/N ratio. We have used a detailed model atmosphere method to derive the abundances of the light elements C, O, A1, S and of many Fe-peak elements and a few s-process elements. Our present work indicates near solar abundance for most of the elements for RZ Vel and hence we do not confirm the high metallicity derived photometrically by Eggen (1982) for this star     

Composition Differences Between Globular Cluster and Halo Field Giants

Low metallicity (−3 <=[Fe/H] < = −1) halo field giants exhibit the expected correlation of Na and Mg abundances, based on the assumption that Na is produced in the same nucleosynthetic sites as are the alpha elements, confirming a result noted by Sneden (1998). On the other hand, giants in at least some globular clusters (especially M13, but also M15 and NGC 6752) do not exhibit the Mg vs Na correlation found among halo field giants (Hanson et al., 1998). The very large [Na/Fe]-ratios and widely scattered [Mg/Fe]-ratios found among M13 giants depend, on the average, on evolutionary state and are probably induced by deep mixing of stellar envelopes through the CNO hydrogen-burning shell. Why M13 (and M15 and NGC 6752) giants should experience deep mixing whereas field halo giants in the same evolutionary state mix not at all is an anomaly unexplained by current theories of stellar evolution. By contrast, giants in the outer halo cluster NGC 7006 show little evidence of deep mixing (Kraft et al., 1998). These differences in the degree of deep mixing among stars in related, but different, stellar populations may be connected to the so-called `second parameter effect'. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A revised DDO abundance calibration for population I red giants

Several arguments that justify establishing a revised abundance calibration for DDO photometry of population I red giants are presented. The components of the blanketing vector in the DDOC(45–48) vsC(42–45) diagram are determined for late-type dwarfs and giants. We have redefined the DDO cyanogen anomaly and calibrated it against metallicity. The sample of field giants now available with abundances derived from high dispersion spectroscopy is substantially larger than previously available, leading to a more accurate abundance calibration. Iso-abundance lines in theC(41–42) vsC(42–45) diagram have been determined for population IG and K giants and an iterative method for deriving abundances of these stars is described. We show that the new DDO abundances are in very good agreement with those derived from high dispersion spectroscopy. The new method improves by about 0.1 dex the DDO abundances derived for early G and/or late K giants, with respect to the δCN method of Janes (1975).