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.     

Dynamical studies of cluster pairs in the Magellanic Clouds

We performed N -body simulations of star cluster encounters with Hernquist's TREECODE in a CRAY YMP-2E computer under different initial conditions (relative positions and velocities, cluster sizes, masses and concentration degrees). The total number of particles per simulation ranged from 1024 to 20480. These models are compared with a series of isodensity maps of cluster pairs in the Magellanic Clouds. Evidence is found that during the interactions, transient morphological effects such as an expanded halo, isophotal deformation and isophotal twisting can occur as a result of tidal effects and dynamical friction. The simulations also show that different outcomes are possible depending on the initial parameters: (i) long-standing changes of concentration degree can occur after the collision; (ii) one member can disaggregate; or (iii) the pair can coalesce into a single cluster with a distinct structure compared with the original ones. These simulations can reproduce a wide range of morphological structures in observed cluster pairs.     

Five young star clusters in the outer region of the Small Magellanic Cloud

Colour–magnitude diagrams in the Washington system are presented for the first time for five star clusters projected on to the outer region of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The clusters are found to have ages in the range 0.1–1.0 Gyr, as derived from the fit of isochrones with   Z = 0.004  . This sample increases substantially the number of young clusters in the outer SMC – particularly in the south-east quadrant – with well-derived parameters. We combine our results with those for other clusters in the literature to derive as large and homogeneous a data base as possible (totalling 49 clusters) in order to study global effects. We find no conclusive evidence for a dispersion in the cluster ages and metallicities as a function of their distance from the galaxy centre, in the SMC outer region. L 114 and 115, although very distant, are very young clusters, lying in the bridge of the SMC and therefore most likely formed during the interaction which formed this feature. We also find very good agreement between the cluster age–metallicity relation (AMR) and the prediction from a bursting model from Pagel & Tautvaišienė with a burst that occurred 3 Gyr ago. Comparing the present cluster AMR with that derived by Harris & Zaritsky for field stars in the main body of the SMC, we find that field stars and clusters underwent similar chemical enrichment histories during approximately the last couple of Gyr, but their chemical evolution was clearly different between 4 and 10 Gyr ago.     

Historical Evidence for the Birth of the Newly Discovered Pulsar PSR J1833-1034

Stimulated by the recent discovery of PSR J1833-1034 in SNR G21.5-0.9 and its age parameters presented by two groups of discovery, we demonstrate that the PSR J1833-1034 was born 2053 years ago from a supernova explosion, the BC 48 guest star observed in the Western Han (Early Han) Dynasty by ancient Chinese. Based on a detailed analysis of the Chinese ancient record of the BC 48 guest star and the new detected physical parameters of PSR J1833-1034, agreements on the visual position, age and distance between PSR J1833-1034 and the BC 48 guest star are obtained. The initial period P0 of PSR J1833-1034 is now derived from its historical and current observed data without any other extra assumption on P0 itself, except that the factor PP is a constant in its evolution until now.     

银河系卫星星系研究进展

对银河系内卫星星系进行全面的"人口普查"具有重要的意义。目前已经发现了二十几个卫星星系,其光度范围分布很广,最暗的矮星系比球状星体还暗。叙述了卫星星系的光度分布、空间分布和动力学性质。总结了观测和理论研究进展,并讨论了星流和伽玛射线在研究银河系结构和暗物质性质方面的贡献。表明了卫星星系的统计分布能用来很好地限制冷暗物质理论和星系形成的相关物理过程,同时指出当前研究的局限性和可能的发展方向。     

星系NGC5018的星族合成研究

利用星团谱样本的星族合成方法,研究了邻近巨椭圆星系NGC5018中的星族成分和其内部的恒星形成历史,给出了星系中不同年龄和金属丰度星族的成分占有比.星族合成结果表明,NGC5018中不仅存在大量金属丰度低的年老恒星成分,而且较年轻的星族成分(T=5×108yr)对星系光度贡献也很重要.星系吞并和相互作用过程可能是触发这些较年轻星族形成的物理原因,椭圆星系内部的恒星形成历史可能是2次爆发或者多次爆发过程.这些结果可以很好地解释NGC5018颜色偏蓝、Mg2谱指数强度偏弱等观测特征.     

���ҹ��������ǵ���ϵͳ���Ƿ�Χ����չ����������̽��

????????????????????????????????Χ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????4??IGSO????????????????????????Χ???γ55??????????γ75??