Is Ursa Major II the progenitor of the Orphan Stream?

Prominent in the 'Field of Streams'– the Sloan Digital Sky Survey map of substructure in the Galactic halo – is an 'Orphan Stream' without obvious progenitor. In this numerical study, we show a possible connection between the newly found dwarf satellite Ursa Major II (UMa II) and the Orphan Stream. We provide numerical simulations of the disruption of UMa II that match the observational data on the position, distance and morphology of the Orphan Stream. We predict the radial velocity of UMa II as −100 km s⁻¹, as well as the existence of strong velocity gradients along the Orphan Stream. The velocity dispersion of UMa II is expected to be high, though this can be caused both by a high dark matter content or by the presence of unbound stars in a disrupted remnant. However, the existence of a gradient in the mean radial velocity across UMa II provides a clear-cut distinction between these possibilities. The simulations support the idea that some of the anomalous, young halo globular clusters like Palomar 1 or Arp 2 or Ruprecht 106 may be physically associated with the Orphan Stream.     

On the maximum value of the cosmic abundance of oxygen and the oxygen yield

We search for the maximum oxygen abundance in spiral galaxies. Because this maximum value is expected to occur in the centres of the most luminous galaxies, we have constructed the luminosity – central metallicity diagram for spiral galaxies, based on a large compilation of existing data on oxygen abundances of H  ii regions in spiral galaxies. We found that this diagram shows a plateau at high luminosities  (−22.3 ≲ M _B ≲−20.3)  , with a constant maximum value of the gas-phase oxygen abundance  12 + log (O/H) ∼ 8.87  . This provides strong evidence that the oxygen abundance in the centres of the most luminous metal-rich galaxies reaches the maximum attainable value of oxygen abundance. Since some fraction of the oxygen (about 0.08 dex) is expected to be locked into dust grains, the maximum value of the true gas + dust oxygen abundance in spiral galaxies is 12 + log(O/H) ∼ 8.95. This value is a factor of ∼2 higher than the recently estimated solar value. Based on the derived maximum oxygen abundance in galaxies, we found the oxygen yield to be about 0.0035, depending on the fraction of oxygen incorporated into dust grains.     

The Monitor project: JW 380 – a 0.26-, 0.15-M⊙, pre-main-sequence eclipsing binary in the Orion nebula cluster

We present a general recipe for constructing N -body realizations of galaxies comprising near spherical and disc components. First, an exact spherical distribution function for the spheroids (halo and bulge) is determined, such that it is in equilibrium with the gravitational monopole of the disc components. Second, an N -body realization of this model is adapted to the full disc potential by growing the latter adiabatically from its monopole. Finally, the disc is sampled with particles drawn from an appropriate distribution function, avoiding local-Maxwellian approximations. We performed test simulations and find that the halo and bulge radial density profile very closely match their target model, while they become slightly oblate due to the added disc gravity. Our findings suggest that vertical thickening of the initially thin disc is caused predominantly by spiral and bar instabilities, which also result in a radial re-distribution of matter, rather than scattering off interloping massive halo particles.     

Bayesian modelling of the cool core galaxy group NGC 4325

We present an X-ray analysis of the radio-quiet cool-core galaxy group NGC 4325  ( z = 0.026)  based on Chandra and ROSAT observations. The Chandra data were analysed using xspec deprojection, 2D spectral mapping and forward-fitting with parametric models. Additionally, a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method was used to perform a joint Bayesian analysis of the Chandra and ROSAT data. The results of the various analysis methods are compared, particularly those obtained by forward-fitting and deprojection. The spectral mapping reveals the presence of cool gas displaced up to 10 kpc from the group centre. The Chandra X-ray surface brightness shows the group core to be highly disturbed, and indicates the presence of two small X-ray cavities within 15 kpc of the group core. The xspec deprojection analysis shows that the group has a particularly steep entropy profile, suggesting that an active galactic nucleus (AGN) outburst may be about to occur. With the evidence of prior AGN activity, but with no radio emission currently observed, we suggest that the group in a pre-outburst state, with the cavities and displaced gas providing evidence of a previous, weak AGN outburst.     

Multiwavelength study of X-ray selected star-forming galaxies within the Chandra Deep Field-South

We have combined multiwavelength observations of a selected sample of star-forming galaxies with galaxy evolution models in order to compare the results obtained for different star formation rate (SFR) tracers and to study the effect that the evolution of the star-forming regions has on them. We also aimed at obtaining a better understanding of the corrections due to extinction and nuclear activity on the derivation of the SFR. We selected the sample from Chandra data for the well studied region Chandra Deep Field -South (CDFS) and chose the objects that also have ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) data from Galaxy Evolution Explorer ( GALEX ) and Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) Spitzer , respectively.
Our main finding is that there is good agreement between the extinction corrected SFR(UV) and the SFR(X), and we confirm the use of X-ray luminosities as a trustful tracer of recent star formation activity. Nevertheless, at SFR(UV) larger than about  5 M_⊙ yr⁻¹  there are several galaxies with an excess of SFR(X) suggesting the presence of an obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) not detected in the optical spectra. We conclude that the IR luminosity is driven by recent star formation even in those galaxies where the SFR(X) is an order of magnitude higher than the SFR(UV) and therefore may harbour an AGN. One object shows SFR(X) much lower than expected based on the SFR(UV); this SFR(X) 'deficit' may be due to an early transient phase before most of the massive X-ray binaries were formed. An X-ray deficit could be used to select extremely young bursts in an early phase just after the explosion of the first supernovae associated with massive stars and before the onset of massive X-ray binaries.